The year’s first major political test in Wisconsin becomes a referendum on Elon Musk

Wisconsin’s upcoming Supreme Court race is just entering its final stretch and it’s already breaking records as the most expensive judicial election in the nation’s history. The April 1 contest between liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and conservative Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel has drawn millions of dollars in outside money — most notably from billionaire Elon Musk. As the first election since Donald Trump returned to the White House and unleashed his agenda on the country, the race will serve as a crucial early barometer of how voters are feeling about his second term — testing the mood of the electorate and the enthusiasm of both parties in a critical battleground state. Both sides say the race is extremely close and will depend on who can best turn out their voters in an off-year so soon after a presidential race. Wisconsin is one of the nation’s evenly divided states. Trump won by less than a percentage point, or fewer than 30,000 votes. In 2023, the conservative candidate lost by more than 10 points, putting liberals in charge of the court for the first time in 15 years.