Nominally Nonpartisan, Wisconsin High Court Election Likely to Set Ideological Direction of Bench

Voters in Wisconsin head to the polls on Tuesday to decide the ideological majority and direction of their state Supreme Court.

The race involves who will replace outgoing left-leaning Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. Republicans are supporting Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel, while Democrats are backing Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford.

That said, judicial elections in Wisconsin are officially nonpartisan. 

Schimel previously served as the state’s attorney general. He is a practicing Catholic who has been supported by the Women Speak Out PAC, a partner of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. SBA characterized Schimel as a candidate who “respects life, the Constitution, and the rule of law.”

While Crawford is also a state circuit court judge, the similarities with Schimel end there. She has been a prominent supporter of abortion rights in Wisconsin, having represented Planned Parenthood as a lawyer in previous private practice and has been endorsed by the organization. 

Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are elected for 10-year terms, and this year’s judicial race is seen as a bellwether of whether the Trump coalition will turn out to vote in an off-year election.

Supporters of Schimel have urged the need for a massive turnout on Tuesday to overcome Crawford’s slight lead in some polling. 

Liberals currently control the state’s highest court with a 4-to-3 majority. The race has received significant national attention because of its implication for the slim Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Wisconsin Supreme Court could affect the redistricting of congressional seats in the state. Democrats in the state have openly promised to deliver two additional House seats in play for the 2026 midterm elections.

Both Democrats and Republicans have poured money into the race, with spending approaching $100 million. That number has exceeded the previous record of $51 million in 2023, which was also for a state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin. Leftist billionaire George Soros has given $2 million to the Wisconsin Democratic Party and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has donated $1.5 million.  

Meanwhile, Elon Musk and affiliates have spent about $17.5 million on the race, and the tech magnate has also organized a rally in the swing state. At one point wearing a foam cheesehead hat, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur handed out two $1 million oversized checks to two Wisconsin voters. Musk had used a similar high dollar-value sweepstakes during the 2024 presidential election to drive turnout in Pennsylvania. 

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