Money doesn't always buy happiness, but in Wisconsin, it sure buys a lot of TV ads. If you live anywhere near the Badger State, you probably couldn't turn on a football game or check the weather last spring without seeing Judge Susan Crawford or Brad Schimel staring back at you.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court results from April 2025 weren't just a local tally. They were a earthquake. Honestly, calling it a "record-breaking" race feels like an understatement when the spending blew past $100 million. We are talking about a state judicial race that cost more than some presidential campaigns.
Why? Because the stakes were basically everything. Control of the court was on the line, and with it, the future of abortion access, redistricting, and how your vote actually gets counted in 2026 and beyond.
What Actually Happened on Election Night?
It wasn't even close. By about 7:16 p.m. on April 1, 2025, the Associated Press had seen enough. Susan Crawford, the liberal-backed candidate from Dane County, absolutely surged. She ended up with 55% of the vote, leaving the former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel at roughly 45%.
If you look at the map, Crawford did exactly what she needed to do. She racked up massive numbers in Madison (Dane County) and Milwaukee. But the real story was the "WOW" counties—Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington. Traditionally deep red, Schimel still won them, but his margins were soft. When a Republican can't dominate the suburbs of Milwaukee, the math just stops working.
Crawford’s victory means the 4-3 liberal majority stays put. It’s locked in until at least 2028. That is a massive deal for anyone wondering which way the state's legal winds are blowing.
The Musk Factor and the "Not For Sale" Crowd
You've probably heard about the billionaires. Elon Musk didn't just toss a few bucks into this race; he practically moved in. He spent over $21 million trying to get Schimel across the finish line. He even showed up in the state 48 hours before the polls opened, handing out $1 million checks to voters like they were parade candy.
Crawford leaned into this hard. In her victory speech, she told the crowd, "I never could have imagined that I would be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin... and we won."
That narrative—the idea of "out-of-state billionaires" trying to buy a seat—really resonated with the "purple" voters in the middle. Even some folks who usually lean conservative, like 68-year-old veteran Jim Hazelton, told reporters they voted for Crawford specifically because they were tired of Musk and Trump treated the state like a personal playground.
The Big Issues: Why People Actually Showed Up
Turnout was insane. Over 52% of the voting-age population cast a ballot. For a spring election, that's unheard of. Usually, these races are sleepy affairs for policy nerds, but not this time.
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Abortion Rights
This was the engine of the Crawford campaign. After the 2023 shift to a liberal majority, everyone knew a challenge to the 1849 ban was coming. Indeed, in July 2025, the court officially struck down that near-total ban. Crawford’s win basically ensures that ruling isn't going anywhere.
Gerrymandering and Redistricting
Republicans have held a hammer-lock on the state legislature for years because of the way the lines were drawn. The court already threw out the state legislative maps, but now the congressional maps are in the crosshairs.
- There are currently two lawsuits moving through the system.
- The court just appointed three-judge panels to handle them.
- We might see new U.S. House maps before the 2026 midterms, though the timing is tight.
Union Power
Remember Act 10? The law that stripped collective bargaining rights from most public workers? It's been the holy grail of Wisconsin politics for a decade. The court is expected to hear a challenge to it soon. With Crawford on the bench, those 200,000 teachers and public employees have a very different outlook than they did five years ago.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 "Free" Election
So, is the fighting over? Not even close.
We are already staring down the 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court race. This time, it's for the seat held by Justice Rebecca Bradley (a conservative powerhouse). She announced she isn't running for another term, which leaves an open seat.
The candidates are already lined up:
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- Chris Taylor: A liberal Court of Appeals judge and former state lawmaker.
- Maria Lazar: A conservative Court of Appeals judge from Waukesha.
Kinda interestingly, this race won't change the majority. Even if Lazar wins, the court stays 4-3 liberal. If Taylor wins, it moves to 5-2. Because the "soul of the court" isn't up for grabs, experts like those at WisPolitics think the spending might not be as "obscene" as the 2025 race. But honestly? In Wisconsin, never bet against a high-spending political brawl.
What You Should Do Now
If you're a Wisconsin voter or just someone watching the national political weather, here is how to handle the fallout of the Wisconsin Supreme Court results:
- Check Your Voter Registration: The primary for the next seat is February 17, 2026, with the general on April 7. Visit MyVote.wi.gov to make sure you're good to go.
- Watch the Docket: Keep an eye on the "Act 10" and congressional redistricting cases. These will be the first major tests for the court with Crawford officially seated.
- Follow the Money: If you see Maria Lazar or Chris Taylor ads starting to pop up, look at who is paying for them. The 2025 race showed that knowing the donor is often more important than the ad's message.
The 2025 results proved that Wisconsin isn't just a swing state; it's a state where the courts are the new front line. The liberal majority is here to stay for the next few years, and they've got a very busy calendar ahead.