Musk’s Millions and the Battle for Wisconsin’s Bench

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Elon Musk, Billionaire Backers & a Supreme Showdown

As Wisconsin heads to the polls this Tuesday, the race for a seat on the state’s Supreme Court has become a lightning rod for the nation’s most divisive issues — and a magnet for outside money. Abortion rights, voting laws, union power, and even congressional redistricting all hang in the balance, with potential ripple effects reaching the U.S. House of Representatives.

What once might have been a quiet judicial election has exploded into a national political spectacle. Spending is expected to top $100 million, making it the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history — rivaling many Senate campaigns.

At the center of the controversy: Elon Musk. The billionaire tech mogul has poured at least $20 million into supporting conservative candidate Brad Schimel, according to reports. Musk even showed up at a campaign event in Wisconsin Sunday night, wearing a cheesehead hat and handing out $1 million to two petition signers — a move that triggered legal questions about potential voter bribery. A court later ruled his $1 million-a-day “petition sweepstakes” could proceed.

Musk’s allies have also run misleading ads disguised to appear as though they came from the campaign of his opponent, liberal judge Rebecca Crawford, using polarizing language to fire up the base. Additionally, Musk is offering $100 to individuals who sign a petition denouncing so-called “activist judges.”

His interest, Musk says, lies in redistricting: if Crawford wins, Democrats may push to redraw congressional maps, potentially costing Republicans two House seats.

Crawford hasn’t minced words. “Elon Musk is really trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” she said.

Meanwhile, Schimel has attempted to distance himself from Musk’s influence, stating during their only debate, “I have no control over whatever any outside group does. I will enforce the law as written by the legislature.”

The money isn’t just flowing from the right. Crawford’s campaign has received millions in support from Democratic megadonor George Soros, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Wisconsin philanthropist Lynde Uihlein, who contributed $6.2 million. Soros has donated $2 million.

Wisconsin, a state that flipped narrowly for Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, remains deeply divided. With a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature, Tuesday’s vote is more than just a judicial decision — it’s a barometer of Trump’s post-election influence, Democratic momentum, and Musk’s political muscle.

Adding fuel to the fire: Musk’s own legal interest in the state. Tesla is currently suing Wisconsin over laws that prevent direct-to-consumer auto sales — a case that may eventually reach the very court he’s trying to influence.

One thing is clear: this isn’t just a state election. It’s a full-blown national proxy war.