Crawford, a Dane County judge, secured a 10-year term on the court over Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel.Donald Trump has erupted after Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford won Wisconsin’s Supreme Court special election, in a race which was widely considered a litmus test of how voters feel about President Donald Trump’s first months in office.
Crawford, a Dane County judge, secured a 10-year term on the court over Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel.
Her win allows Liberals to hold a 4-3 advantage in the court. The race was nonpartisan, but the state Democratic and Republican parties each endorsed a candidate.However, Republicans, including Trump and tech billionaire, Elon Musk, backed Schimel, a former state attorney general.
Trump took to Truth Social to accuse the Democrats of cheating in a 10-word post. He wrote: “Democrats fought hard against this, presumably so they can CHEAT.”
Meanwhile, Democrats including former US President Barack Obama and billionaire donor George Soros backed Crawford. She led legal fights to protect union power, abortion rights and to oppose voter ID.
The election was poised to be the highest-turnout Wisconsin Supreme Court election ever. Seven polling stations in Milwaukee ran out of ballots due to “historic turnout.”
More than $99 million was spent on the race, making it the most expensive court race on record in the US.
Musk held a town hall event in Green Bay on Sunday night to push for the election of Schimel, where the world’s richest man handed out $1 million checks to two voters. He contributed $3 million to the campaign, while groups he funded poured in another $18 million.
Musk and the president viewed the vote as a way to protect Trump’s agenda as he faces legal challenges in the battleground state. The Wisconsin Supreme Court can decide election-related laws and settle disputes over future election outcomes.
Trump on Monday emphasized the importance of the vote.“Wisconsin’s a big state politically, and the Supreme Court has a lot to do with elections in Wisconsin,” he said. “Winning Wisconsin’s a big deal, so therefore the Supreme Court choice…it’s a big race.”
Crawford appealed to abortion rights advocates in her campaign, and denounced Schimel’s opposition to the procedure. She also attacked Schimel for his ties to Musk and Trump.
Schimel’s campaign claimed Crawford was weak on crime and a puppet of Democrats who would push to redraw congressional district boundary lines to hurt Republicans.