MADISON, Wis. — A conservative nonprofit organization, funded in part by billionaire Elon Musk, is making a significant investment in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, a contest that promises to impact the political landscape of this critical swing state.
Building America’s Future has launched a $1.6 million television ad campaign that began airing Thursday, targeting Wisconsin’s five largest media markets with advertisements scheduled to run for two weeks. This initiative follows Musk’s previous post on X, the social media platform he owns, where he emphasized the importance of the race and expressed support for the Republican candidate.
The election on April 1 is crucial, potentially serving as a bellwether for both Republicans and Democrats after Donald Trump’s victories in all swing states during last fall’s election. The outcome will decide whether the court will be dominated by liberal justices or shift to a conservative majority, affecting vital upcoming issues including abortion rights, union regulations, election laws, and congressional redistricting.
Brad Schimel, a Republican and former state attorney general currently functioning as a judge in Waukesha County, is the candidate supported by Musk’s group. Schimel is a staunch Trump supporter and has welcomed the prospect of Trump endorsing him. Musk has previously invested approximately $250 million in supporting Trump during the previous election cycle and has taken on a prominent advisory role to streamline federal bureaucracy efforts.
“Who wouldn’t want the endorsement of the sitting president, who is enjoying high popularity right now?” Schimel stated during an interview. “I suspect President Trump is aware of this race. It’s been identified by many as the most important race in America in 2025, and they’re probably right.”
In opposition to Schimel, Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford carries the backing of the Wisconsin Democratic Party and has previous experience working under a Democratic governor. She is also endorsed by organizations such as Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and Wisconsin’s AFL-CIO. Crawford has a background in litigation, previously challenging laws related to abortion and union rights.
Crawford has criticized the financial backing from Musk’s group, framing Schimel as someone who is “bought and paid for by right-wing extremists.” Although Building America’s Future does not disclose its donors, reports suggest that Musk emerged as the principal donor for the organization in 2022.
“Elon Musk and other right-wing billionaires are pouring money into this race because they can bank on Brad Schimel to protect their corporate dominance, restrict reproductive freedoms, and take our state backward at the expense of ordinary Wisconsinites,” Crawford asserted in a statement.
The advertisements released by Building America’s Future resonate with criticisms already levied against Crawford regarding her management of a 2018 case that led to a four-year prison sentence for a man accused of abusing two children in a public pool. While prosecutors sought a more stringent 10-year sentence, Crawford argued that a shorter sentence was adequate for rehabilitation.
Both candidates are vying to fill a nonpartisan seat that became vacant following the retirement of a liberal justice. Besides Musk, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race has attracted the attention of other affluent individuals, including Diane Hendricks, Richard and Liz Uihlein, and Joe Ricketts, who are showing financial support for Schimel’s campaign. Additionally, other conservative and business-affiliated organizations in the state are contributing resources.
Addressing the topic of campaign funding during a recent forum, Schimel commented on the financial support and emphasized the need for genuine backing based on shared values rather than transactional relationships. “People want to support you. It should be they’re supporting you because they like the things that you stand for, not because they’re buying some end result,” he explained.
This race is projected to become the most expensive state supreme court election in history, even exceeding the $51 million spent on the prior Wisconsin race two years ago. Moreover, significant financial contributions are flowing from both sides of the political spectrum.
Crawford has received considerable donations from high-profile Democratic donors, including George Soros and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Schimel has highlighted these contributions, asserting that extensive fundraising from external sources is prevalent for both candidates.
Only one major outside group has invested heavily on Crawford’s behalf; the liberal organization A Better Wisconsin Together, which claims to have allocated $1 million for advertisements aimed at her candidacy. In 2023, this group significantly influenced the state supreme court race, spending over $6 million to support the liberal candidate who ultimately flipped control of the court.
Last year, Musk directed nearly $300 million toward Republican campaigns, with the majority aimed at supporting Trump’s re-election bid. His political involvement extends to state-level initiatives in Texas, where he contributed to tort reform efforts and aided political action committees focused on electing Republican judges.
In the recent presidential election, Building America’s Future funded various ads including misleading information promoting Trump. The organization was involved in controversial advertising strategies targeting voters in Michigan and Pennsylvania regarding Kamala Harris’ stance on Israel.
Crawford, alongside Democratic allies, has called for donations in response to the spending from Musk’s organization, with Harris encouraging supporters to contribute to the Democratic National Committee to counteract expected challenges, such as congressional redistricting, that may arise before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
