Elon Musk will travel to Wisconsin this weekend to campaign in the state’s Supreme Court election—widely viewed as a testing ground for Republicans’ 2028 electoral prospects—after Musk-affiliated groups have spent millions backing the GOP candidate who could change the ideological makeup of the court in a battleground state.
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel, candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, speaks to ... More
Musk said Friday he will give a talk in Wisconsin Sunday, two days before the Tuesday election, and award $1 million to two winners of a sweepstakes contest, though he said admission to the event would be limited to people who have cast early ballots in the election—as Musk’s giveaways have raised questions about whether they violate a state law that prohibits giving away anything of value to sway voters.
Musk-affiliated groups have already donated at least $13 million to the Republican candidate, Supreme Court Judge Brad Schimel, according to the Washington Post, including $6 million from Musk’s America PAC, which has led a canvassing operation and offered $100 to voters who sign a petition in opposition of “activist judges.”
Musk did not name Schimel in his X post announcing his weekend visit, but recently held a public conversation with him on X and personally gave $3 million to Schimel’s campaign, while President Donald Trump also endorsed Schimel last week, writing that the race “could have much to do with the future of our Country.”
If Schimel wins, conservatives would reclaim their advantage in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, which is currently split 4-3, with liberal-leaning justices holding the majority since 2023. Schimel is competing against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford to replace retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. While the election is officially non-partisan, Schimel is a Republican and has expressed opposition to abortion rights and backed stricter voter ID laws. A victory for Schimel would give conservatives the advantage over a number of high-stakes issues the court is likely to take up in the near future, including voting rules for the 2028 election and lawsuits challenging the state’s abortion laws. The court could also be asked to weigh in on a lawsuit Musk’s Tesla company filed against the state contesting its refusal to allow Tesla to open dealerships there, in line with the state’s restrictions on dealerships owned by auto manufacturers.
A significant share of voters, 38%, said they didn’t have an opinion of Schimel and 64% said the same of Crawford in a February Marquette Law School survey, though the poll was taken before Trump and Musk have ramped up their public support for Schimel. Among voters who said they were very enthusiastic about voting and would participate in the election, 42% viewed Schimel favorably, compared to 33% who said the same about Crawford.
Crawford’s campaign and groups supporting her have campaigned against Schimel by linking him to Musk, with one recent TV ad accusing Musk of “trying to buy Schimel a seat on the Supreme Court.” The Wisconsin Democratic Party has also hosted a series of town hall events titled “People v. Musk,” NBC News noted. The anti-Musk playbook is emerging as a campaign strategy for Democratic candidates nationwide, as Musk’s approval rating is lower than Trump, raising questions about whether his efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency to slash the size of the federal government are having a negative impact on voter sentiment.
0.86. That’s how many points Trump won Wisconsin by in the 2024 election, the smallest margin of any state.
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