Elon Musk’s $2 million pledge to Wisconsin Supreme Court voters drew Democratic fire Friday — even as their own candidate relies primarily on out-of-state donors.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched newspaper ads across Wisconsin Friday accusing Musk of trying to “buy” the state’s highest court. But while Democrats decry outside influence, campaign finance records show their own nominee — liberal Judge Susan Crawford — has taken the vast majority of her financial support from donors living outside the state. (RELATED: Republicans Face First Test To Determine If They Can Keep Trumpmentum Going)
“Elon Musk has threatened Medicare, gutted Social Security services, and now he thinks he can buy himself a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a press release. “That’s why, today, the DNC is out with our first paid media explicitly calling out Musk for his attempts to meddle in Wisconsin’s elections.”
We’re running this ad in newspapers across Wisconsin ahead of the April 1 Supreme Court election. pic.twitter.com/MDCIeT8Fr4
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) March 28, 2025
The ads, which will run through Election Day, appear in several local papers and feature the message “Wisconsin is not for sale.” DNC officials claim Musk is “trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” citing his support for conservative Judge Brad Schimel. But campaign finance data paints a more complicated picture.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of campaign filings found that 77% of Crawford’s donors live outside of Wisconsin. Schimel’s share of out-of-state donors is just 15%. Both candidates have drawn the bulk of their actual fundraising dollar totals from inside the state, with roughly two-thirds of Crawford’s cash coming from Wisconsin and 94% of Schimel’s.
Overall, Crawford has raised more than $26 million to Schimel’s $14 million, with donors from all 50 state contributing to both campaigns, according to the outlet. The winner will determine the ideological balance of the court, which currently leans 4-3 liberal after a 2023 flip.
Musk said in a now-deleted X post he plans to hold a Sunday rally in Wisconsin where he will “personally hand over” $1 million each to two voters who have already cast their ballots.
“I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote. This is super important,” Musk wrote early Friday morning.
He later clarified in a Friday post that entrance to his rally is “limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges,” adding he will award $1 million to two signees to be “spokesmen for the petition.”
On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin.
To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges.
I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2025
The move, which he said was aimed at boosting voter turnout, drew criticism from Democrats who claimed it may violate election laws — though Musk stated the recipients would be pre-selected and not rewarded for voting a certain way.
“Elon Musk has committed a blatant felony by offering money for votes in order to help Brad Schimel,” Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, wrote in a statement. “Musk’s illegal election bribery scheme to put Brad Schimel on the Supreme Court is a chainsaw attack on democracy and the rule of law in Wisconsin and our nation.”
The race has become a magnet for national attention and money, with President Donald Trump also urging voters to back Schimel during a tele-townhall Thursday. The president called the contest a “very important race.”
“It’s a very important race,” the president said, according to ABC News. A full recording of the town hall has not yet been publicly released. “I know you feel it’s local, but it’s not. It’s really much more than local. The whole country is watching.”
Crawford has positioned Musk’s involvement as a key campaign theme, running digital ads warning voters against “extreme right-wing billionaires” trying to tilt the court. But the DNC’s paid media effort to amplify that message comes as its own candidates come from a massive infusion of liberal money from outside the state — an increasingly common dynamic in judicial races nationwide.
The 2023 race that flipped the court to a liberal majority saw record-breaking spending totals, including millions in support for Democratic-backed Janet Protasiewicz from national groups and donors in California and New York. Protasiewicz spent $12 million in her race against conservative Daniel Kelly, who spent just $2 million, with total spending from campaigns and outside groups reaching $42 million. (RELATED: Liberal Candidate Janet Protasiewicz Wins Pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court Race)
The election is scheduled for Tuesday, with the outcome expected to influence rulings on abortion, redistricting and election law in a key battleground state.
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