Who is Susan Crawford? Meet the judge who defied Musk-backed opponent in Wisconsin

UPDATED: Apr 2, 2025 21:45 IST

Liberal judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel on Tuesday, securing a crucial victory for liberals in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. This result deals a significant blow to both the Republican Party and Elon Musk, who heavily funded Schimel’s campaign.

Susan Crawford defeated Schimel to maintain liberal control over the state's top court, three months after Donald Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in the presidential race.

The Wisconsin race was seen as an early test of the Trump administration and Elon Musk's involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk reported poured millions of dollars into Schimel's campaign and even paid $2 million dollars to two voters. This election became the most expensive judicial race in US history with over $80 million spent.

Yet, Susan Crawford managed to defeat Musk-backed Schimel. Her win allows liberals to hold a 4-3 majority in the state Supreme Court. This could be pivotal as the court is set to hear major cases on abortion and collective bargaining rights.

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Who is Susan Crawford?

Susan Crawford is a liberal circuit court judge in Dane County. She did not contest as a Democrat in the race, but gained support from the Dems against Brad Schimel.

Crawford and her allies turned the race into a test of Elon Musk's public approval, which further allowed her to take this victory.

Susan Crawford takes the seat after years of experience in the field of law, including:

Crawford became a popular figure for liberal voters in Wisconsin. In the city of Milwaukee, seven polling sites ran out of ballot boxes "due to unprecedented and historic voter turnout," as per the city's election commission. More ballots were brought in before the polls closed to ensure all citizens got to vote.