Elon Musk shifts focus from Washington to Wisconsin
Dissatisfied with the extensive overhaul of Washington, the tech mogul’s supporters are now aiming to extend his influence at the state level.
TroibNews 
A group connected to Elon Musk is set to invest over $1 million in the upcoming Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, highlighting Musk's influence beyond national politics as he works to reshape Washington.
Musk has publicly supported the Republican candidate in the Wisconsin race on his influential X platform. Additionally, a Republican-affiliated organization, Building America’s Future, plans to allocate at least $1.5 million for advertisements that will begin airing shortly. Musk has previously contributed to this group, which has also supported some of former President Donald Trump’s contentious Cabinet nominations.
The surge in financial backing comes in response to strong Democratic performances in minor special elections since Trump took office. This high-stakes Wisconsin race is crucial for both parties and for Musk, who has already invested millions to assist Trump in securing the presidency. Although the race is officially nonpartisan, the Supreme Court influences significant issues, including redistricting, abortion rights, and labor laws. Democrat-aligned Susan Crawford is up against GOP-supported Brad Schimel, and the election outcome could shift control of the state’s highest court between liberals and conservatives.
“It feels like a very clear sign that he knows what we know, which is that this is the most important election of the new Trump era,” said Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, a Democratic-focused group involved in volunteer initiatives for the Wisconsin race.
With its spending, Building America’s Future becomes the second-largest Republican-affiliated spender in the contest, following Schimel’s campaign. While a spokesperson for Building America’s Future declined to comment, the group has already exerted influence, supporting key aspects of Trump’s agenda. In December, they funded digital ads urging Sen. Joni Ernst to support Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense, which she ultimately did.
On X last month, Musk emphasized the necessity of voting Republican in the upcoming Wisconsin election to "prevent voting fraud," referencing a decision by the liberal court that allowed absentee ballot drop boxes before the 2024 election. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2024.
“Susan Crawford has nationalized this race on her own, but we can’t control what happens outside of our campaign,” noted Schimel campaign spokesperson Jacob Fischer, who pointed out that Crawford has received endorsements from significant Democratic figures such as George Soros, venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
In a statement on X, Crawford remarked, “Elon Musk is buying off Brad Schimel.”
Musk has established himself as a considerable political donor in recent cycles, contributing at least $290 million of his own funds to support Republican candidates. While much of his funding aimed to aid Trump, his America PAC also distributed $19.2 million across more than a dozen competitive House races. Following the election, Musk stated on X that America PAC would "keep grinding" in preparation for special elections and the midterms.
The attention from Musk and the financial commitment from Building America’s Future reflect a broader national interest in the Wisconsin election, as well as in state Supreme Court races nationwide. With an increasing number of political disputes being resolved in court, both parties and external groups regard state court elections as vital power centers.
Significant outside funding has already been drawn to the Wisconsin race. Recently, House Freedom Action, the campaign arm of the House Freedom Caucus, spent at least $50,000 to attack Crawford. One advertisement labels her a “left-wing extremist who will turn Wisconsin into Illinois,” while another highlights her financial backers, including Soros, Hoffman, and Pritzker.
Crawford's campaign has secured $4.8 million in ad reservations, according to data from AdImpact. In contrast, Schimel has reserved $4.1 million. Major external contributors already include the liberal group A Better Wisconsin Together, which has invested over $2.3 million in television ads, and the conservative-backed Fair Courts America, which has spent more than $1.3 million.
As a nonprofit organization, the donors of Building America’s Future are not publicly disclosed. However, reports have indicated that Musk contributed to the group in 2022, and he shared one of their videos on X prior to the November election. Last year, the organization played a significant role in funding several Republican-aligned super PACs, including Duty for America and Future Coalition PAC, which aimed to engage minority voters for Trump. It also financed Stand For Us PAC, which targeted down-ballot Republican primaries.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is regarded as one of the most significant special elections this cycle. Republicans are striving to regain control of the court following Democrat Janet Protasiewicz’s successful campaign that flipped a seat in 2023, which became the costliest state Supreme Court election in history. With the newfound majority, Democrats have redrawn maps, allowing them to secure more seats in the state legislature and potentially flip the statehouse next year. The Supreme Court's composition could significantly impact the maps used in the upcoming 2026 U.S. House elections.
The investment by Building America’s Future was anticipated given Schimel's recent comments regarding the high costs of TV advertising in the expensive media market, where he essentially called for increased external investment.
“They want somebody on the court who can be part of a majority who’s going to look out for corporations and who’s going to come after basic rights and freedoms,” stated Sam Roecker, a Democratic political consultant who has previously worked on state Supreme Court campaigns, including Protasiewicz’s.
“This is the first big race of 2025, so there will be national attention on that,” he remarked.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
Musk has publicly supported the Republican candidate in the Wisconsin race on his influential X platform. Additionally, a Republican-affiliated organization, Building America’s Future, plans to allocate at least $1.5 million for advertisements that will begin airing shortly. Musk has previously contributed to this group, which has also supported some of former President Donald Trump’s contentious Cabinet nominations.
The surge in financial backing comes in response to strong Democratic performances in minor special elections since Trump took office. This high-stakes Wisconsin race is crucial for both parties and for Musk, who has already invested millions to assist Trump in securing the presidency. Although the race is officially nonpartisan, the Supreme Court influences significant issues, including redistricting, abortion rights, and labor laws. Democrat-aligned Susan Crawford is up against GOP-supported Brad Schimel, and the election outcome could shift control of the state’s highest court between liberals and conservatives.
“It feels like a very clear sign that he knows what we know, which is that this is the most important election of the new Trump era,” said Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, a Democratic-focused group involved in volunteer initiatives for the Wisconsin race.
With its spending, Building America’s Future becomes the second-largest Republican-affiliated spender in the contest, following Schimel’s campaign. While a spokesperson for Building America’s Future declined to comment, the group has already exerted influence, supporting key aspects of Trump’s agenda. In December, they funded digital ads urging Sen. Joni Ernst to support Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense, which she ultimately did.
On X last month, Musk emphasized the necessity of voting Republican in the upcoming Wisconsin election to "prevent voting fraud," referencing a decision by the liberal court that allowed absentee ballot drop boxes before the 2024 election. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2024.
“Susan Crawford has nationalized this race on her own, but we can’t control what happens outside of our campaign,” noted Schimel campaign spokesperson Jacob Fischer, who pointed out that Crawford has received endorsements from significant Democratic figures such as George Soros, venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
In a statement on X, Crawford remarked, “Elon Musk is buying off Brad Schimel.”
Musk has established himself as a considerable political donor in recent cycles, contributing at least $290 million of his own funds to support Republican candidates. While much of his funding aimed to aid Trump, his America PAC also distributed $19.2 million across more than a dozen competitive House races. Following the election, Musk stated on X that America PAC would "keep grinding" in preparation for special elections and the midterms.
The attention from Musk and the financial commitment from Building America’s Future reflect a broader national interest in the Wisconsin election, as well as in state Supreme Court races nationwide. With an increasing number of political disputes being resolved in court, both parties and external groups regard state court elections as vital power centers.
Significant outside funding has already been drawn to the Wisconsin race. Recently, House Freedom Action, the campaign arm of the House Freedom Caucus, spent at least $50,000 to attack Crawford. One advertisement labels her a “left-wing extremist who will turn Wisconsin into Illinois,” while another highlights her financial backers, including Soros, Hoffman, and Pritzker.
Crawford's campaign has secured $4.8 million in ad reservations, according to data from AdImpact. In contrast, Schimel has reserved $4.1 million. Major external contributors already include the liberal group A Better Wisconsin Together, which has invested over $2.3 million in television ads, and the conservative-backed Fair Courts America, which has spent more than $1.3 million.
As a nonprofit organization, the donors of Building America’s Future are not publicly disclosed. However, reports have indicated that Musk contributed to the group in 2022, and he shared one of their videos on X prior to the November election. Last year, the organization played a significant role in funding several Republican-aligned super PACs, including Duty for America and Future Coalition PAC, which aimed to engage minority voters for Trump. It also financed Stand For Us PAC, which targeted down-ballot Republican primaries.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is regarded as one of the most significant special elections this cycle. Republicans are striving to regain control of the court following Democrat Janet Protasiewicz’s successful campaign that flipped a seat in 2023, which became the costliest state Supreme Court election in history. With the newfound majority, Democrats have redrawn maps, allowing them to secure more seats in the state legislature and potentially flip the statehouse next year. The Supreme Court's composition could significantly impact the maps used in the upcoming 2026 U.S. House elections.
The investment by Building America’s Future was anticipated given Schimel's recent comments regarding the high costs of TV advertising in the expensive media market, where he essentially called for increased external investment.
“They want somebody on the court who can be part of a majority who’s going to look out for corporations and who’s going to come after basic rights and freedoms,” stated Sam Roecker, a Democratic political consultant who has previously worked on state Supreme Court campaigns, including Protasiewicz’s.
“This is the first big race of 2025, so there will be national attention on that,” he remarked.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
