On Capitol Hill, Wisconsin lawmakers are framing Tuesday’s state Supreme Court race as a consequential contest that could have major ramifications on how the Badger State’s congressional districts are drawn.
The race between Democratic-aligned Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel will determine whether the state’s high court will remain under 4-3 liberal control or flip to a conservative majority.
“It has big stakes for the House. You see the narrow margins we’re in for passing bills,” Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) told us. “If [Crawford] wins, they’ll turn Wisconsin into Minnesota and Illinois. They’re failing states and people are fleeing. I’m afraid Wisconsin could end up in the same position.”
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) called the race “the most important political race in the entire country.” He also pointed to President Donald Trump’s team’s interest in the race to highlight its significance.
“What’s at stake is control of the House of Representatives,” Van Orden said. “They’re trying to buy the House of Representatives so that they can subvert President Trump’s agenda and disenfranchise 77 million voters.”
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election will be a test for Trump’s appeal in a state he narrowly flipped back last year after losing the Badger State to former President Joe Biden in 2020. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016.
Trump allies are pouring millions of dollars into the race, most of which has come from groups tied to Elon Musk. A Musk-linked PAC awarded a Green Bay man $1 million for supporting its petition to stop “activist judges” in Wisconsin.
Democratic response: Democrats are focusing their messaging on Musk’s financial involvement in the special election.
“The race really is coming down in many ways, to Elon Musk putting $19 million into trying to buy a Supreme Court justice,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) told us. “Much of the conversation about the race really is kind of a referendum on Musk and Trump and Musk’s money.”
Most Democratic ads have sought to portray Schimel as a failed prosecutor who is soft on crime and hands out favors to his allies. And lawmakers are highlighting the policy issues that the Wisconsin Supreme Court will weigh in on.
“The controversies that are likely to come before the court include reproductive freedom and the right to organize,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). “And this seat will control the balance of the court so it’s vitally important.”
Also in the campaign world: Elect Democratic Women is endorsing Marlene Galán-Woods in Arizona’s 1st District. Galán-Woods finished third in the 2024 Democratic primary and is mounting a comeback bid to unseat Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.).
