Introduction

If you have been following American politics lately, you already know that Wisconsin keeps making headlines. But it is not just because of presidential races or Senate battles. The Wisconsin Supreme Court election has turned into one of the most watched, most expensive, and most consequential judicial contests in the entire country.

In just two back-to-back elections, from 2025 to 2026, Wisconsin reshaped its highest court completely. Liberals went from a narrow 4 to 3 majority to a commanding 5 to 2 control. That shift carries real weight. It affects abortion rights, redistricting, voting laws, union protections, and possibly the outcome of future presidential elections in this battleground state.

This article breaks down everything you need to know. We cover the 2025 race between Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel, the record-breaking spending that stunned the nation, Elon Musk’s dramatic involvement, and the 2026 follow-up victory by Chris Taylor. You will also find out why these elections matter far beyond Wisconsin’s borders.

What Is the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Why Does It Matter?

Before we get into the drama, let us quickly cover the basics.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state. Seven justices, selected in nonpartisan elections for 10-year terms, sit on the court of last resort. The court has jurisdiction over all other Wisconsin courts.

Here is why that matters so much politically:

The court decides on abortion law, election procedures, redistricting maps, and labor rights. When a ruling lands here, there is no higher state authority to appeal it. So whoever controls this court shapes Wisconsin’s laws for a decade.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but candidates often take stances on specific issues and receive backing from the state’s political parties during their campaigns.

In other words, these races are partisan in everything but name.

The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court Election: A Record-Breaking Battle

The Open Seat That Started It All

In April 2024, incumbent justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced that she would not seek an additional term and instead retire when her term expired in 2025. This created an open-seat race.

That single announcement set off a national firestorm. Bradley was part of the liberal majority. Losing her seat to a conservative would flip the court back to a 4 to 3 conservative majority. Winning it for liberals would lock in their control for years.

Both sides immediately understood what was at stake.

Susan Crawford vs. Brad Schimel

Dane County circuit judge Susan M. Crawford defeated Waukesha County circuit judge and former state attorney general Brad Schimel, maintaining the liberal 4 to 3 majority on the court.

Crawford was the liberal candidate, backed by Democrats and progressive organizations. Schimel, a former state attorney general, carried the Republican banner. Trump himself publicly supported Schimel and called the race a “big deal.”

Crawford embraced the backing of Planned Parenthood and other abortion rights advocates, running ads that highlighted Schimel’s opposition to the procedure. She also attacked Schimel for his ties to Musk and Republicans, referring to Musk as “Elon Schimel” during a debate.

Schimel, on his part, leaned into his law enforcement background and tried to position himself as an independent judge. He pushed back against the idea that he would serve Trump’s agenda. However, the association proved hard to shake.

The Most Expensive Judicial Race in American History

This is where things get truly extraordinary.

The contest was the most expensive court race on record in the U.S., with spending nearing $99 million, according to a tally by the Brennan Center for Justice. That broke the previous record of $51 million, set in the state’s Supreme Court race in 2023.

Let that sink in. A state court race spent nearly $100 million. That is more than some Senate campaigns raise in a full cycle.

Musk contributed $3 million to the campaign, while groups he funded poured in another $18 million. Musk also gave $1 million each to three voters who signed a petition he circulated against “activist” judges. PBS Wisconsin

On the other side, Crawford received major financial backing from Democratic megadonors. Former President Barack Obama also expressed support for her campaign.

Elon Musk’s Dramatic Role

Musk did not just write checks. He went all in.

Musk aggressively utilized his social media presence to campaign for Schimel and to attack Crawford. He also held a highly publicized campaign rally for Schimel in Green Bay, where he gave away two $1 million checks to Wisconsin residents in an effort to boost Republican voter turnout. Wikipedia

The move was designed to energize conservative voters. It worked somewhat. Republican turnout did increase. But it was not enough.

Democrats likely had a significant turnout advantage, and according to an analysis by Split Ticket, the voters who voted in the 2025 Supreme Court election backed Kamala Harris by 7 points in 2024. Wikipedia

Crawford made Musk’s involvement a central theme of her entire campaign. She framed the race as ordinary people vs. billionaire money.

Crawford said in her victory speech: “Today Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy, our fair elections, and our Supreme Court. Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price, our courts are not for sale.” PBS Wisconsin

Turnout That Shattered Records

The turnout level seen was similar to that of a midterm election and significantly exceeded that of any previous Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Wikipedia

This was not a quiet judicial race. Voters showed up like it was November. That reflects how much both sides understood what was at risk.

The 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court Election: Liberals Expand Their Hold

A Different Kind of Race

The 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on April 7, 2026, to elect a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a ten-year term. Wikipedia

This time, the seat belonged to incumbent justice Rebecca Bradley, who chose not to seek reelection after serving on the court since October 2015. Wikipedia Bradley is a conservative. Her retirement opened the door for liberals to grow their majority even further.

At the time she announced her retirement, Bradley told WisPolitics that the conservative movement “needs to take stock of its failures,” referencing the 2023 and 2025 losses. WPR

That is a striking admission from someone inside the conservative movement itself.

Chris Taylor Wins and the Majority Grows to 5 to 2

Democratic-backed candidate Chris Taylor won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, growing the liberal majority on the court as cases affecting congressional redistricting, union rights, and other important issues await. PBS

Taylor, a state appeals court judge from Dane County, defeated conservative judge Maria Lazar, a state appeals court judge from Waukesha County. Liberals have now secured a 5 to 2 majority on the court, solidifying their hold potentially through the end of the decade. CNN

Taylor focused her campaign strongly on abortion rights. One of her TV ads argued that “abortion is on the ballot.” In another ad, she criticized Lazar for calling the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 “very wise.” PBS

Taylor said in her victory speech: “Once again, Wisconsin showed the entire nation that we believe that the people should be at the center of government and the priority of our judiciary, not the billionaires, not the most powerful and privileged, but the people.” PBS

A Much Quieter Race

Unlike the explosive 2025 election, 2026 was calmer. Without the court’s ideological majority hanging in the balance, the election attracted far less attention and fundraising. As the race neared its end in March, spending was less than $9 million total, far below the $100 million in the prior election. Wikipedia

The tally of early votes in the 2026 race was less than half what it was at the same point in the 2025 contest. WPR

This makes sense. When the stakes are lower, enthusiasm cools. But the result still matters enormously for Wisconsin’s legal future.

Why These Elections Matter Beyond Wisconsin

You might be wondering: why should someone outside Wisconsin care about these races?

Here is the honest answer. Wisconsin is a perennial battleground state. It has been decided by razor-thin margins in recent presidential elections. Its Supreme Court holds authority over election procedures, redistricting maps, and voting rights. The court under liberal control has reversed several election-related rulings, including one that overturned a ban on absentee ballot drop boxes, and it is positioned to once again be in the spotlight around the 2028 presidential election. PBS

The liberal win could have long-lasting implications in Wisconsin, which is home to potentially competitive midterm races and an upcoming presidential race in 2028. CNN

If you care about how elections are run in a state that often decides who becomes president, these court seats matter a great deal.

The Bigger Trend: Liberal Courts and Democratic Energy

The Wisconsin Supreme Court story fits into a larger national pattern.

A liberal winning streak in the state Supreme Court races began in 2020. Liberals reclaimed the majority in 2023 and extended their control in 2025 when liberal Justice Susan Crawford beat conservative Judge Brad Schimel by 10 points. PBS

That is four straight elections where Democrats have prevailed in Wisconsin judicial races. Each time, they have outperformed their opponents on turnout.

One reason for this is that abortion rights continue to energize Democratic voters. In Wisconsin specifically, the state had a near-total abortion ban briefly go into effect after the Dobbs decision. A lower court eventually decided that the 1849-era trigger law did not mean abortion was outlawed. That case remains before the Supreme Court, and it has been a major motivating factor for voters since 2023. Ballotpedia

For many Wisconsin voters, especially women, the stakes feel deeply personal. That translates directly into votes.

What Comes Next for the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Liberals now hold a 5 to 2 majority heading into the next phase of the court’s work. Another state Supreme Court seat will be up for grabs in 2027 after conservative Justice Annette Ziegler announced her retirement earlier in the year. CNN

If liberals win that seat too, the court would move to an almost impossibly dominant 6 to 1 majority.

Conservatives face a difficult road. They have lost four consecutive Wisconsin Supreme Court races. Their donor base, including Musk, spent nearly $100 million and came up short. The strategy of nationalizing these races and flooding them with outside money has not delivered results.

The path forward for conservatives is unclear. But for now, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court is firmly in liberal hands, and it will stay that way for at least the next several years.

Key Takeaways You Should Remember

Here is a quick summary of what these elections tell us:

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election of 2025 was the most expensive judicial race in American history at nearly $99 million. Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel to preserve the 4 to 3 liberal majority. Elon Musk spent over $21 million supporting Schimel and it did not work. In 2026, Chris Taylor defeated Maria Lazar, expanding the liberal majority to 5 to 2. Abortion rights, voting laws, and redistricting continue to drive voter turnout on the liberal side. The court will play a central role in Wisconsin’s 2028 presidential election landscape.

These races show that judicial elections are no longer low-key affairs. They have become the front lines of America’s political battles.

Conclusion

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election story is still unfolding. What started as a single open seat in 2025 turned into a full transformation of the court’s ideological balance by 2026. Voters in Wisconsin have consistently shown up, rejected outside billionaire influence, and made their priorities clear: abortion access, fair elections, and an independent judiciary.

If you live in Wisconsin, you already know how much this court affects your daily life. And if you live elsewhere, pay attention. What happens in Wisconsin’s courts often foreshadows what happens across the rest of the country.

What do you think? Are judicial elections the right way to pick judges, or should there be a better system? Share your thoughts and pass this article along to someone who wants to understand what is really happening in American courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Wisconsin Supreme Court election? It is a statewide vote to elect justices to Wisconsin’s highest court. Justices serve 10-year terms and are chosen in officially nonpartisan elections held every spring.

2. Who won the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election? Susan Crawford, a Dane County circuit judge backed by Democrats, defeated Brad Schimel, a former Republican state attorney general, on April 1, 2025.

3. How much money was spent in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race? Nearly $99 million was spent, making it the most expensive judicial election in American history.

4. What role did Elon Musk play in the 2025 race? Musk contributed $3 million personally and funded groups that spent another $18 million backing Brad Schimel. He also held a campaign rally in Green Bay and gave away two $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters.

5. Who won the 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court election? Chris Taylor, a state appeals court judge from Dane County, won on April 7, 2026, defeating conservative Maria Lazar.

6. What is the current makeup of the Wisconsin Supreme Court? After Taylor’s 2026 win, liberals hold a 5 to 2 majority on the court.

7. Why are Wisconsin Supreme Court elections so important nationally? The court controls rulings on abortion rights, voting procedures, redistricting, and election laws in a state that consistently plays a decisive role in presidential elections.

8. What issues does the Wisconsin Supreme Court decide? The court rules on abortion laws, gerrymandering, voting rights, labor protections, and major state constitutional questions.

9. Are Wisconsin Supreme Court elections partisan? Officially they are nonpartisan. In practice, both political parties endorse candidates, organize fundraising, and campaign actively on their behalf.

10. When is the next Wisconsin Supreme Court election? The next notable race is expected in 2027 when conservative Justice Annette Ziegler’s seat comes up following her announced retirement.
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Author Bio: Sarah Monroe is a political journalist and legal affairs writer with over eight years of experience covering state courts, elections, and constitutional law. She has contributed to national publications and specializes in making complex legal and political topics clear and accessible to everyday readers.