Susan Crawford elected to Wisconsin Supreme Court — keeping bench in liberal hands after most expensive judicial race of all time
SUMMARY
Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge, clinched a spot on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1, 2025, locking in the court’s 4-3 liberal edge after a nail-biter race that smashed records as the priciest judicial showdown ever. Beating out GOP-backed Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County judge and ex-attorney general, Crawford’s win means she’ll serve a decade on the bench, replacing retiring liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. The stakes were sky-high—think redistricting, abortion, unions—with Dems and Republicans throwing everything at it. Crawford had the Democratic Party and big liberal cash behind her, while Trump and Elon Musk pumped up Schimel, with Musk dropping over $12 million via his America PAC and handing out $1 million checks at a Green Bay rally. Total spending hit $90 million, per the Brennan Center, with Schimel edging out in outside dough. Trump pushed hard, slamming Crawford as soft on crime, but she pulled through, keeping Wisconsin’s high court liberal-led.
