Judge Susan Crawford, the liberal candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has raised $24 million for the upcoming April 1 election, setting a record for an American judicial candidate, according to her campaign announcement on Monday.
This substantial fundraising includes $17 million collected between February 4 and March 17, which is comparable to amounts typically expected of gubernatorial candidates and exceeds those raised by other recent statewide office candidates in Wisconsin.
However, this amount is expected to be only a portion of the total expenditures in the race, which represents a significant test of party enthusiasm since President Trump took office and will determine the majority on the state’s highest court.
Most campaign spending will come from super PACs or through Wisconsin’s political parties, which are allowed to raise unlimited funds and transfer them to endorsed candidates without restriction. In contrast, judicial candidates are limited to $20,000 per individual donor, with Judge Crawford's campaign reporting contributions from 113,000 donors since her candidacy began last summer.
Judge Crawford is running against Brad Schimel, a conservative judge who recently received an endorsement from President Trump. Schimel is also benefiting from significant financial support from super PACs linked to billionaire Elon Musk.
As of Friday, total spending in the Supreme Court race has reached $80 million, making it the most expensive judicial election in American history, surpassing the previous record of $55 million spent in Wisconsin's last Supreme Court election in 2023.
The heightened financial stakes are attributed to the critical issues at play, as liberals currently hold a 4-to-3 majority on the court, which is expected to rule on important matters such as abortion rights and election procedures, including congressional redistricting.
With liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley not seeking re-election, the winner of this race will secure a 10-year term on the court.
Judge Crawford's fundraising figures are approaching those of Tim Michels, the last Republican gubernatorial nominee, who spent $28.5 million during his 2022 campaign. Judge Crawford has raised more than any non-federal candidate in the state’s history, aside from Governor Tony Evers.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, which has endorsed Judge Crawford, has not yet disclosed its fundraising totals for the latest period but is required to do so later on Monday. Similarly, Judge Schimel and the Republican Party of Wisconsin have not revealed their recent fundraising numbers.
America PAC, a super PAC funded by Elon Musk, has contributed over $6.6 million in support of Judge Schimel, with another affiliated super PAC spending nearly as much on advertisements for the campaign.
During a livestreamed chat on Saturday, Judge Schimel mentioned that he had spoken with President Trump, who indicated he would support the race. In the same discussion, Musk remarked that early voting data suggested Democrats were leading, which he characterized as unfavorable.
In response, Judge Crawford accused Musk of attempting to exert influence over the Wisconsin judiciary by supporting Schimel's candidacy while expressing gratitude for the grassroots support she has received across the state.