Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Breaks Records Amid Musks Influence

Key Points

• • Wisconsin's Supreme Court race has shattered spending records, with over $90 million invested, making it the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history.
• • Elon Musk has emerged as a significant political influence, contributing more than $20 million and organizing events to boost GOP candidate Brad Schimel.
• • Musk plans to host a giveaway event in Wisconsin, offering $1 million to two voters, drawing legal scrutiny from the state's Democratic Attorney General.
• • Democratic megadonors, including George Soros and JB Pritzker, are also heavily financing the election, with Soros contributing $2 million to the Democratic Party.
• • Susan Crawford, the liberal candidate, raised over $17 million, significantly outpacing Schimel's $7.3 million in the campaign's final weeks.
• • The race is seen as a crucial test of political sentiment in Wisconsin, a key battleground state for upcoming elections.
• • The election outcome will determine the ideological control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which could influence major issues like abortion and voting rights.
• • Musk's advertising strategy faced backlash, with opponents painting him as trying to buy judicial influence in Wisconsin.
• • Despite Musk's financial backing and Trump's endorsement of Schimel, Crawford won the election, maintaining a 4-3 liberal majority on the court.
• • Republican special elections in Florida resulted in expected wins, but margins were tighter than anticipated, signaling potential vulnerability for GOP incumbents.
• • The Wisconsin results suggest that Trump's influence may not be enough to galvanize Republican turnout in off-year elections.
• • The election results reflect nuanced voter sentiments in Wisconsin, rejecting Musk and Trump's preferred candidate while supporting voter ID laws.