Proud to have Wisconsin roots this morning:
Wisconsin voters have elected a liberal justice to the state’s Supreme Court, with Susan Crawford defeating Elon Musk-backed Brad Schimel in the most expensive judicial election in American history and one of the first major electoral tests of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Crawford’s projected victory in a closely watched race for control of the court
— serving as a proxy battle over the nation’s political future in the
wake of Trump’s chaotic first few months back in the White House — will
preserve a 4-3 liberal majority on the state’s highest court, which
could decide on litigation involving abortion access and voting rights,
among other critical issues.
Tuesday’s
results in the swing state are expected to serve as an early litmus
test for Americans’ response to Trump’s agenda at the ballot box, and
they deliver a massive blow to Trump’s billionaire adviser, who has
spent more than $20 million to support Schimel’s campaign.
A similarly high-stakes Wisconsin State Supreme court race in 2023
set a national spending record of $56 million for a state Supreme Court
election.
This year’s race crushed that record, with more than
$100 million, according to WisPolitics.com. Unprecedented turnout this
year also led to ballot shortages in Wisconsin’s largest city,
Milwaukee, as voters cast ballots in “historic” numbers, according to
officials. [snip]
Wisconsin voters “squarely rejected” Trump and Musk and right-wing
special interest groups, according to Democratic National Committee
chair Ken Martin.
“And their message? Stay out of our elections
and stay away from our courts — Wisconsin is not for sale,” he said in a
statement following her projected victory.
“This was a
Susan-versus-Goliath struggle of Biblical proportions,” Wikler, the
state’s Democratic Party chair, said in a statement.
He said the
election “demonstrates Musk and Trump have gone too far, and any
politician allied with them could swiftly face the end of their
political career.” (our emphasis)
Turnout in Milwaukee, Madison, Kenosha, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Green Bay and Fox River Valley cities was high for Crawford. It was, by any measure, a blowout:
In addition to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, there were two elections in deep red Florida Congressional Districts yesterday as well that highlighted Democratic energy. The Hill reports on both States:
Democratic energy was on full display in both Wisconsin and Florida.
In Wisconsin, with more than 95 percent of the votes counted in the
counties of Kenosha, Racine and Outagamie, Crawford was winning Kenosha
by roughly 53 percent as of 11 p.m. ET Tuesday night — roughly the same
amount Trump won the county by in 2024.
And while votes are still being tallied, Crawford also appeared to
have a good shot at flipping Racine and Outagamie, counties Trump also
won last year.
Crawford also overperformed in counties former Vice President Harris
won in November, including in Door County where Crawford was winning the
county by 56 percent compared to Harris’ 51 percent. [snip]
Despite the fact that Republicans turned out in Florida and
ultimately nabbed wins, the party ultimately underperformed in both
special House elections, as well as in the Wisconsin race.
In Florida’s 6th district, Fine defeated his Democratic opponent Josh
Weil by 14 points. Trump and Mike Waltz, the current national security
adviser who previously held the seat, won the district by over 30 points
by comparison.
But it was Democrat Gay Valimont’s overperformance in Florida’s 1st
Congressional District that appeared to raise eyebrows even more.
Patronis defeated Valimont by 14.8 points five months after Trump won
the district by 37 points. Democrats also celebrated flipping Escambia
County; Valimont won it by just over three points on Tuesday after Trump
won it by nearly 20 points in November.
Democrats described the results as a warning to Republicans. (our emphasis)
A warning to Republicans and a tonic for Democrats and anyone who values American freedom and democracy. It was a very good day for us.
BONUS: Justice-elect Crawford on the race --
BONUS II: Electoral-vote tells us Democrat-supported candidates won 5 out of 5 races in Wisconsin yesterday.
(Photo: get that off your head, you South Afrikaner skipping dipshit! / AP)
