Judge Susan Crawford won a hotly contested Wisconsin Supreme Court election Tuesday, scoring a crucial victory for Democrats in what became the most expensive court race in U.S. history.
Why it matters: Crawford’s decisive win preserves the state high court’s liberal majority and sends a powerful rebuke to President Trump and the MAGA movement ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- The outcome also showed the limits of Elon Musk‘s influence in the key swing state. The world’s richest man threw millions at Crawford’s opponent, Brad Schimel, and personally campaigned for him.
Here’s what to know about Crawford:
Susan Crawford’s background
Crawford, 60, is a Wisconsin native. She was raised in Chippewa Falls, per her website’s biography.
- She graduated from Wisconsin’s Lawrence University in 1987 then earned her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1994, AP reported.
- Crawford and her husband, Shawn, live in Madison with their two young adult children, according to her biography.
Susan Crawford’s legal career
Crawford has served as the Dane County Circuit Court judge since 2018.
- “As a judge, she has presided over tough trials, including homicide, sexual assault, and domestic violence cases,” her biography stated, noting her commitment to everyone receives a “fair and impartial trial.”
Zoom in: Crawford began her legal career as an assistant attorney general at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
- After leaving government, Crawford was a private practice attorney at Pines Bach, a liberal Madison law firm. There, she worked to protect reproductive rights, voting rights and workers’ rights, per her biography.
What has she said about her win?
In her victory speech Tuesday night, Crawford touted her win as proof that “justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale.”
- “Today, Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy,” she added.
- She will be sworn in on Aug. 1 and her 10-year term will run into 2035.
- Her win ensures Wisconsin’s seven-member high court will have a liberal majority until at least 2028.
Go deeper: Dem-backed candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race in rebuke to Trump, Musk
