State Supreme Court candidates duel over billionaire donors, GOP secures fundraising edge

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- As the state Supreme Court race enters its final weeks, billionaires are writing big checks to the candidates to try and influence the high stakes contest.

Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel will face off on April 1. The winner will decide whether liberals maintain their majority or if the court flips to conservative control.

Schimel, backed by conservatives, recently gained a fundraising edge over his opponent after receiving donations from a Super PAC funded by billionaire Elon Musk. It's a stark contrast from two years ago when liberals had a massive fundraising advantage, ultimately helping their candidate shift the balance of the court for the first time in 15 years.

This past week, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO spent $2.3 million on efforts helping Schimel's campaign and Democratic megadonor George Soros gifted $1 million to Crawford.

Schimel has raised $11.7 million in advertising, with about half of that reserved for the final weeks of the campaign, according to AdImpact. That's compared to the $7.7 million Crawford raised so far, with nearly all of that spent on ad buys.

Political megadonors are likely to keep opening their wallets, but money donated so far has become a defining issue in the race.

Crawford attempted to tie her opponent to Musk, a loyalist of President Donald Trump and leader of the government efficiency group DOGE, created to root out federal waste and spending.

"Elon Musk is trying to buy a seat on our Supreme Court so Brad Schimel can rubber stamp his extreme agenda," Crawford said, speaking at a conference in Madison.

Schimel dismissed Crawford's statement and argued he won't bring "any agenda" to the court.

"I'm grateful for our supporters, but they're getting nothing except me following the law. Period," Schimel told reporters.

Schimel also took aim at Crawford for benefiting from donations by Soros, saying his support from Musk is far different when comparing the two.

"I think [Soros] has very dangerous ideas for America," Schimel said. “I don’t think these two things compare."

Both candidates have vowed to remain impartial despite receiving major donations from political parties and outside groups.

The matchup is already shaping up to be even more expensive than the 2023 state Supreme Court contest, the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.

This year, the stakes are equally high as whoever wins could shape laws on abortion, election policy, union rights, and redistricting.