The Wisconsin Supreme Court race has become the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history, with close to $100 million spent before the polls opened.
Judge Susan Crawford ensured a liberal majority in court Tuesday after defeating conservative Brad Schimel by almost 9 points.
Reacting to the loss, Elon Musk, who poured heaps of cash into supporting Schimel, scorned the “long con of the left” on X Tuesday evening.
Crucially, over $20 million alone came from Musk and his affiliated groups – but how much did the billionaire actually spend on the race?
According to analysis from nonprofit law institute the Brennan Center for Justice, over $53 million was spent on Schimel’s campaign – roughly $8 million more than was spent on Crawford’s effort.
Both parties racked up tens of thousands in advertising costs, according to AdImpact.
On Tuesday evening, with 93 percent of the nearly 2.5 million ballots counted, it was announced that Crawford had secured a slim 4-3 majority.
Yet, the filings taken from the Wisconsin Ethics Commission highlighted the sheer scale of funding from the world’s richest man and his organizations.
“Thanks to unlimited spending allowed by Citizens United and other court decisions, money is flowing into the race from all over the country. This infusion of national spending risks drowning out voices from within the state,” Brennan Center experts previously wrote in March.
A breakdown of Musk’s donations
Notably, Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, was the largest donor to the conservative candidate, plowing over $12 million into his campaign. Musk’s political nonprofit, Building Americas Future, came in second for Schimel, pouring in nearly $6 million, according to the filings.
Musk separately handed $2 million to the Republican Party of Wisconsin, which supported Schimel ahead of the race.
In the lead-up to the race, America PAC sent paid canvassers across Wisconsin to rally for the former Republican state attorney general, and two days before votes flurried in, Musk controversially handed two voters $1 million checks.
A desperate Musk also launched an America PAC petition offering an instant $100 for every person who signed an America PAC petition rallying against “activist judges” with a further $100 if they successfully presuaded another to sign.
During the 2024 presidential election, Musk committed over $290 million to supporting Trump and his MAGA allies in the seven battleground competitive states—one of which included Wisconsin, where Trump won by fewer than 30,000 votes, less than a percentage point.
Despite his donations being legal, Musk has faced pushback, including a lawsuit from the Wisconsin attorney general, just days before voters headed to the polls.
Musk first trotted out his plan to offer cash to voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election in Pennsylvania.
The Independent contacted America PAC, Building Americas Future, and Musk for comment.
