The Democratic- and Republican-aligned candidates running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court are headed toward a tight race in the first major election for the battleground state since November.
Why It Matters
The Supreme Court race could have implications for issues ranging from abortion to redistricting for the Midwestern state, which is roughly divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
The April 1 election will be a critical test for both parties in a state that backed President Donald Trump in last year’s election, while still reelecting Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin. Democrats will seek to capitalize on growing frustration with the Trump administration, while Republicans are hoping the voters who supported Trump in November will come out again in an off-year spring election.
Elon Musk-funded groups have spent $10 million backing Brad Schimel, the Associated Press reported.
What to Know
Recent polls show a tight race between Susan Crawford, backed by Democrats, and Schimel, backed by Republicans, though the race is officially nonpartisan.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Crawford serves on the Dane County Circuit Court, while Schimel, the state’s former attorney general, serves on the Waukesha Circuit Court.
Henrik M. Schatzinger, professor of political science at Ripon College, told Newsweek it’s a “highly competitive race.”
“I think the party that does the best job of mobilizing its voters will win the seat on the state Supreme Court,” he said.
Democrats appear to have “very high” enthusiasm amid growing frustration with the firing of federal worker and other cuts, Schatzinger said.
Republicans may be motivated because they view Trump’s decisions as overdue and are ready for an “ideological shift on the state Supreme Court,” he added.
“At the end of the day, I think there is a good chance that this race will go down in history as the most expensive one ever for a seat on Wisconsin’s highest court,” Schatzinger said, noting the most recent Supreme Court race in 2023 broke fundraising records.
A recent poll conducted by OnMessage Inc. and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) found that voters are split on who they plan to vote for in the race, with both Crawford and Schimel receiving 47 percent support. An additional 5 percent of voters said they aren’t sure who they plan to support.
This poll surveyed 600 likely voters on March 9 and March 10. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
An RMG Research poll, conducted among 800 registered voters from February 25 to February 28, showed Crawford with a slight lead.
Forty-two percent of respondents said they planned to back Crawford, while 35 percent leaned toward Schimel, the poll found. Still, 17 percent said they were undecided.
A TIPP Insights poll, which surveyed 1,045 registered voters from February 7 to February 11, showed each candidate receiving 38 percent of the vote. It had a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.1 percent.
A Marquette poll found that voters are unfamiliar with both candidates. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they don’t know enough about Schimel to make a decision about whether they view him favorably, while 58 percent said they don’t know enough about Crawford to form an opinion.
The poll found that 29 percent of respondents view Schimel favorably, while 32 percent view him unfavorably. Nineteen percent view Crawford favorably, compared to 23 percent who view her unfavorably.
The two candidates faced off in a debate this week, discussing issues including a challenge to an 1849 abortion ban. Schimel said the law should be decided on by the voters, not the court, while Crawford declined to take a stance on the challenge, the Associated Press reported.
What People Are Saying
Schimel Campaign Spokesperson Jacob Fischer to Newsweek: “In 2023, the liberal majority took over the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and have enacted a political agenda each day since. On April 1, Wisconsin has a clear choice between continuing an extreme ideologically driven agenda or restoring fairness to our justice system. Brad Schimel is the law and order candidate backed by Wisconsin’s law enforcement, while Susan Crawford is funded by George Soros and plagued by her soft-on-crime past.”
Newsweek reached out to Crawford’s campaign for comment on Thursday.
WMC Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley to WisPolitics: “This is a winnable race for either candidate right now, and will simply boil down to whichever side does a better job of getting out their voters. It really cannot be overstated how much is on the line.”
Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette poll, to WISN: “Voters are interested in the race in general, but they just don’t know that much about the candidates.”
What Happens Next
The election is set to be held on April 1.
Update 3/13/2025, 5:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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