CHICAGO (WLS) — Democrat- and Republican-aligned groups are pouring huge amounts of money into an open seat in the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
And volunteers from Illinois are once again crossing the border to campaign for one of the candidates.
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Gov. JB Pritzker and Elon Musk are among the big names contributing to the candidates.
The spending for both candidates has reached over $70 million, breaking previous national records for a state judicial election. This race’s result will decide the future balance of power within the Wisconsin Supreme Court for years to come, influencing significant issues in the state.
Brad Schimel and Susan Crawford were blitzing the state this past weekend.
The election is just eight days away.
“We need to get 60 percent of the people who voted conservative on Nov. 5 to come back and vote for April 1,” Schimel said.
It has been a whirlwind week for the conservative Schimel, who was recently endorsed by President Donald Trump.
“‘Hello Brad, this is the president.’ It was a phone call, and he recognizes what’s at stake here in Wisconsin,” Schimel said.
Crawford, the liberal candidate, has been blasting her rival, who was also endorsed by Musk.
Musk recently donated $2 million to Schimel’s campaign.
“He’s got Elon Musk spending millions of dollars on this race and now even trying to buy votes in Wisconsin,” Crawford said.
“Brad Schimel is viewed as a candidate who is heavily influenced by political interests, which many voters may not favor for a seat on the Supreme Court. As a result, this election has transformed into a referendum on Musk,” expressed Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wickler.
Musk has offered $100 to voters who sign a petition against “activist judges.”
According to the Brennan Center, the candidates and their supporters have spent a combined $73.4 million in this race.
That includes more than $32 million for Crawford, and more than $41 million for Schimel.
Pritzker donated $500,000 in January to help support Crawford’s campaign.
“It is concerning to see that a small group of extremely wealthy individuals are steering the narrative and are likely to strongly impact the election outcome,” highlighted Reform for Illinois Policy Director Alisa Kaplan, emphasizing the influence of money in politics.
Illinois Democrats have been sending volunteers to canvass and phone bank for Crawford this past month through Operation Swing State.
The election outcome could impact remapping and abortion rights in the years to come, but the big money influence is raising other concerns.
“So, who your judges end up indebted to I think is a really important thing to think about,” Kaplan said.
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