Susan Crawford Defeats Elon Musk-Backed Rival In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Despite Billionaire's $1 Million Voter Giveaway Gamble

Susan Crawford secured victory in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race Tuesday, NBC News projects, preserving liberals’ 4-3 majority on the battleground state’s highest court despite Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk‘s multi-million dollar opposition campaign.

What Happened: Crawford, a Dane County circuit judge backed by Democrats, defeated former Republican attorney general Brad Schimel in the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history. The election marks the first major battleground contest of President Donald Trump‘s second term.

“As a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never could have imagined that I’d be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin,” Crawford told supporters Tuesday. “And we won.”

See Also: Gene Munster Warns Tesla’s March Delivery Number Will Be ‘Ugly’ But June Will Be Uglier

Why It Matters: The outcome represents a significant setback for Musk, who spent over $15 million supporting Schimel and controversially distributed $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters at campaign events.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment enshrining voter ID requirements, while incumbent superintendent Jill Underly defeated conservative challenger Brittany Kinser.

The anti-Musk strategy deployed by Democrats may serve as a template for future contests, according to the report, as the billionaire continues his political involvement through Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and campaign contributions ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.