Liberal Judge Raises Record Funds as Anti-Musk Support Grows in Wisconsin Court Race

With Elon Musk providing backing to her right-wing competitor, a liberal judge in Wisconsin is vying for a seat on the state Supreme Court by securing an unprecedented amount of funding.

Judge Susan Crawford, representing liberal interests in the fight for a spot on Wisconsin's highest court, has collected a staggering $24 million ahead of the election slated for April 1. Her campaign revealed this record-breaking achievement on Monday.

From February 4 to March 17 alone, Judge Crawford secured $17 million, an amount typically associated with gubernatorial campaigns rather than judicial ones, outpacing recent campaigns for statewide positions in Wisconsin.

The financial battle extends beyond direct contributions, as political action committees and state party networks, which can raise and allocate unlimited funds, are expected to dominate overall expenditures in support of Judge Crawford's campaign. The outcome of this race is poised to be a significant indicator of party motivations since the inauguration of President Trump and will determine the ideological majority of the court.

In contrast to the boundless resources available to political parties, direct donations to judicial candidates are capped at $20,000 from individual contributors. So far, Judge Crawford's campaign has been powered by a grassroots network of over 113,000 individual givers since her entry into the race last summer.

Opposing her is Brad Schimel, her conservative adversary who benefits from extensive fiscal support directed by super PACs aligned with Elon Musk, the billionaire keen on assisting the president's governmental cost-reduction initiatives.