In Madison, Wisconsin, the recent election for a pivotal position on the state’s Supreme Court resulted in a win for Susan Crawford, a candidate strongly supported by national Democrats and who prominently opposed Elon Musk during her campaign.
**Susan Crawford’s Judicial Background**
At 60 years old, Crawford has accumulated significant experience in Wisconsin’s legal landscape. She has been serving as a Dane County Circuit Court judge since 2018, securing her position through elections in both 2018 and 2022. Dane County includes Madison, the liberal hub of the state. Before her judgeship, Crawford held positions as an assistant attorney general in both Iowa and Wisconsin’s departments of justice and worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Her career also includes serving as legal counsel to Democratic Governor Jim Doyle in 2009. After Doyle’s term concluded in 2011, Crawford joined a prominent Madison law firm known for challenging legislation initiated by Republicans. Her work included representing Planned Parenthood in efforts to dispute restrictions on abortion, as well as vocal criticism of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Currently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has two pending cases regarding an 1849 state abortion ban.
**Championing Union Rights**
Crawford also played a significant role in defending union rights by representing public teacher unions in a pivotal case against a Republican law known as Act 10, which restricted collective bargaining for teachers and most public workers. This law was a significant feature of former Republican Governor Scott Walker’s administration and placed Wisconsin at the forefront of the national debate on union rights. Last year, a Dane County judge declared much of Act 10 unconstitutional, with the decision expected to be brought before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Additionally, Crawford has contested a Republican law that mandates voters to present photo identification at polling stations. A native of Chippewa Falls, Crawford completed her undergraduate studies at Lawrence University in Appleton in 1987, followed by earning her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1994. She currently resides in Madison with her husband and two children.
**Campaign Against ‘Elon Schimel’**
In her candidacy, Crawford faced Brad Schimel but often positioned Elon Musk, Schimel’s backer, as her true rival in what became the most expensive judicial election in the United States. During a debate, Crawford notably referred to Schimel as “Elon Schimel,” highlighting Musk’s influence in the race. The state Democratic Party rallied behind her campaign, framing the election as “The People v. Musk” and organizing a series of town halls opposing Musk, one featuring Tim Walz, a former vice-presidential nominee. Amidst celebrating her victory alongside other female judges, including outgoing Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, Crawford triumphantly remarked, “I never thought I would be taking on the richest man in the world for justice. And we won.”