In 2025, April 1st, there was the Wisconsin Supreme Court by-election. The place of voting in Menomonie held on UW-Stout. This election drew particular attention as it was seen as a key indicator of public sentiment following President Trump’s inauguration.
The result is that Democratic candidate Susan Crawford defeated Republican Brad Schimel with a 55% to 45% margin. Former President Donald Trump had actively endorsed Schimel, and his close ally Elon Musk drew attention by personally contributing over $20 million to the campaign. Despite the record-breaking spending, making it the most expensive judicial race in the state’s history, public ultimately favored the Democratic candidate.
Currently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court holds a narrow 4–3 majority of liberal-leaning justices. However, with one of the liberal justices set to retire, this election was held to determine who would fill that crucial seat. The terms “conservative-leaning” and “liberal-leaning” used, because judicial candidates in Wisconsin run as nonpartisan, without official party affiliation. It’s important to note that in some U.S. states, judicial candidates are allowed to run with a declared party affiliation.
Strictly speaking, Wisconsin’s judicial elections are nonpartisan, but partisan politics often come into play, especially in high-stakes races like this one. There are two key reasons for this.
First, Wisconsin is a well-known battleground state in presidential elections, with power frequently shifting between parties. As such, just over two months into President Trump’s term, this race was widely seen as an early indicator of public sentiment toward his administration.
Second, the issues likely to come before the newly elected justice are of major significance. The court is expected to weigh in on whether the Wisconsin Constitution protects abortion rights and whether to include a requirement for photo ID at the polls in the state constitution. The court may also hear cases on redistricting, which could have implications for the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
As political parties are increasingly involved in judicial elections, spending on these races has surged. This Wisconsin Supreme Court race has now become the most expensive judicial election in state history. According to data from the nonprofit Brennan Center for
Justice, as of March 31st, spending had reached approximately $100 million—$53 million supporting Schimel and $45 million backing Crawford. Many UW-Stout students voted, with some also expressing concerns about excessive political-leaning intervention in state judge elections.
Such levels of political investment in the judiciary, an institution meant to remain impartial, raise important concerns. As voters, we must remain vigilant and ensure that our democratic rights are exercised with full awareness of these underlying dynamics. Beyond the political outcome, this election served as a real-time lesson in how state-level judicial decisions can impact national policy and personal rights.
