Data: AdImpact; Chart: Axios Visuals
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election on Tuesday has become the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, surpassing $98 million in spending as of Tuesday, per the Brennan Center for Justice.
Why it matters: The election will determine the ideological majority on the currently liberal court, which has pending cases on abortion, redistricting and voting rights.
What they’re saying: “Money is flowing into the race from all over the country,” Brennan Center experts wrote on March 24. “This infusion of national spending risks drowning out voices from within the state.”
- While Wisconsin Supreme Court races are official nonpartisan, each candidate is backed by either Republicans or Democrats, and the winner will determine if the court keeps its liberal majority.
State of play: Liberal candidate Susan Crawford, a Dane County Circuit Court judge, has received support from former President Barack Obama and billionaire megadonor George Soros.
- Conservative candidate Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge and former state attorney general has been endorsed by President Trump and financially backed by Elon Musk.
Data: Brennan Center for Justice; Note: Spending totals come from two sources – public disclosures filed with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, and TV spending estimates provided by Vivvix/CMAG. ; Chart: Axios Visuals
Zoom in: Crawford’s own campaign spent more than $22 million, while Schimel’s spent almost half at more than $11 million, according to an analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice.
- Schimel was supported by groups including Musk-created America PAC, which spent more than $12 million.
Flashback: During the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, $9.9 million was spent during the primary, per AdImpact, which analyzes advertising spending.
- The primary was skipped this year because the two candidates automatically advanced to the general election.
Zoom out: TV ads in the swing state were robust during other elections, too, per AdImpact.
- $470 million was spent targeting Wisconsin’s presidential, House and Senate elections in 2024.
- $362 million was spent in the 2022 gubernatorial, House and Senate races.
Go deeper: What to know about the Wisconsin Supreme Court election that Musk has heavily invested in
