Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seat

Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate

Judge Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin Supreme Court seat
Judge Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin Supreme Court seat
(Image credit: Scott Olson / Getty Images)

What happened

Wisconsin Democrats won Tuesday's hotly contested race for an open seat on the state Supreme Court. Judge Susan Crawford's victory, which cemented a liberal majority on the court, capped the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, with Elon Musk notably pouring in at least $25 million to back conservative Judge Brad Schimel. Total spending was close to $100 million. Republicans retained two House seats in Florida Tuesday, with state chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis winning a special election in former Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R) district and state Sen. Randy Fine claiming national security adviser Michael Waltz's seat.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.