The 30-second spot hits the liberal candidate, Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, on illegal immigration.
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), a GOP spending group dedicated to winning state-level races across the country, is committing $2 million in advertising spending to help Republicans retake the Wisconsin supreme court majority, National Review has learned.
The group is out with its first ad in support of Republican candidate and Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, a former state attorney general. The new 30-second spot hits Schimel’s liberal opponent, Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, on illegal immigration to tear down her favorability ahead of an April 1 contest that will determine the balance of power on the court.
“President Trump was elected to stop illegal immigration and deport violent, illegal immigrants with criminal records. Trump is keeping his promise; the far left couldn’t beat him last time, so they’re trying again,” the narrator says in the 30-second spot, which was shared exclusively with National Review.
It continues: “Susan Crawford would guarantee a far-left majority on Wisconsin’s highest court to defend Democrat priorities to protect sanctuary cities, stop deportations of illegal immigrants, and let criminals roam free; that’s crazy. Susan Crawford is wrong for Wisconsin.”
The winner of this off-year contest will serve a ten-year term. Democrats currently enjoy a 4–3 majority after having spent millions to elect liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz in April 2023. Spending in that race exceeded $50 million, setting the record for the most expensive state supreme court race in history.
The RSLC’s Wisconsin ad campaign is part of the group’s Judicial Fairness Initiative, intended to win state supreme court majorities across the country this year, and it will give Schimel a boost with digital, television, and mail advertising. This Wisconsin race is already expensive, with the Elon Musk–backed nonprofit advocacy group Building America’s Future also pouring $1.6 million into ads this month in support of Schimel. America PAC, a separate funding entity founded by Musk, has also spent $1 million on canvassing efforts in support of the Republican candidate.