Group associated with Musk exerts influence in key Wisconsin Supreme Court contest
Dissatisfied with significantly transforming Washington, the tech mogul’s supporters aim to extend his influence at the state level.
TroibNews 
A group connected to Elon Musk is investing over $1 million in the upcoming Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, illustrating how Musk's influence is reaching beyond his efforts to reshape Washington.
Through his prominent X platform, Musk has directly supported the Republican-backed candidate in Wisconsin. Moreover, the Republican-aligned group Building America’s Future is allocating at least $1.5 million for advertising in the state, with ads expected to launch later this week. Musk has previously contributed to this group, which has supported some of President Donald Trump’s controversial Cabinet appointees.
This influx of funding coincides with strong Democratic performances in minor special elections since Trump took office. The critical Wisconsin race serves as a significant test for both parties and Musk, who previously channeled millions to help Trump attain the presidency and is now aiming to impact state-level politics. Although officially nonpartisan, the Supreme Court addresses pivotal issues such as redistricting, abortion, and labor rights. Voters will choose between Democrat-aligned Susan Crawford and GOP-backed Brad Schimel, a decision that could shift control over the state’s highest court.
Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, a Democratic-aligned organization focused on volunteer initiatives for the Wisconsin race, remarked, “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.”
With this spending, Building America’s Future becomes the second-largest Republican-aligned spender in the race, behind Schimel’s campaign. A spokesperson for Building America’s Future declined to comment. Nonetheless, the group has begun applying pressure by supporting key aspects of Trump’s agenda, including funding digital ads encouraging Sen. Joni Ernst to endorse Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense.
Musk commented on X last month that it was “Very important to vote Republican” in the Wisconsin election to “prevent voting fraud,” referencing the liberal court’s ruling to permit absentee ballot drop boxes before the 2024 election. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020.
Schimel campaign spokesperson Jacob Fischer stated, “Susan Crawford has nationalized this race on her own, but we can’t control what happens outside of our campaign,” adding that Crawford has garnered backing from high-profile Democratic donors such as George Soros, Reid Hoffman, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Crawford herself asserted on X, “Elon Musk is buying off Brad Schimel.”
Having emerged as a significant political benefactor last election cycle, Musk invested over $290 million to support Republican candidates, primarily to aid Trump's election. His America PAC also allocated $19.2 million to more than a dozen competitive House races. Following the election, Musk announced on X that America PAC would “keep grinding” in anticipation of special elections and midterms.
Musk's engagement and the financial support from Building America’s Future reflect a growing national interest in the Wisconsin election and similar state Supreme Court races. As political battles increasingly hinge on court decisions, parties and external groups are recognizing the importance of judicial elections as sources of power.
The Wisconsin race has already drawn considerable outside funding. The House Freedom Action, affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus, recently spent at least $50,000 to target Crawford with negative ads. One advertisement decries her as a “left-wing extremist who will turn Wisconsin into Illinois,” while another identifies Soros, Hoffman, and Pritzker as her financial supporters.
Crawford's campaign has secured $4.8 million in advertising reservations, according to AdImpact, which monitors political ad spending, while Schimel has reserved $4.1 million. Key outside backers already include the liberal group A Better Wisconsin Together, which has invested over $2.3 million in television advertising, and the conservative-supporting Fair Courts America, which has committed more than $1.3 million.
As a nonprofit, Building America’s Future does not publicly disclose its donors. However, reports have indicated that Musk contributed to the organization in 2022, and he has previously shared one of their videos on X before the last election. The group has also backed several Republican-aligned super PACs, including Duty for America and Future Coalition PAC, which aimed to attract minority voters to Trump’s campaign, along with another super PAC, Stand For Us PAC, that engaged in down-ballot Republican primaries.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race marks a significant special election in this cycle, as Republicans seek to regain control of the court following Democrat Janet Protasiewicz's victory in 2023, which set a record for the most expensive state Supreme Court election. Democrats leveraged their majority to redraw maps, enabling them to gain more seats in the state legislature, with hopes of flipping the statehouse next year. The Supreme Court's composition could influence the maps used in future U.S. House elections in 2026.
The financial backing from Building America’s Future was anticipated in Wisconsin, as conservative groups were likely to become involved after Schimel expressed concern about the high cost of television advertising in the competitive media market.
“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 involved in previous state Supreme Court campaigns, including Protasiewicz’s race.
Roecker concluded, “This is the first big race of 2025, so there will be national attention on that.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
Through his prominent X platform, Musk has directly supported the Republican-backed candidate in Wisconsin. Moreover, the Republican-aligned group Building America’s Future is allocating at least $1.5 million for advertising in the state, with ads expected to launch later this week. Musk has previously contributed to this group, which has supported some of President Donald Trump’s controversial Cabinet appointees.
This influx of funding coincides with strong Democratic performances in minor special elections since Trump took office. The critical Wisconsin race serves as a significant test for both parties and Musk, who previously channeled millions to help Trump attain the presidency and is now aiming to impact state-level politics. Although officially nonpartisan, the Supreme Court addresses pivotal issues such as redistricting, abortion, and labor rights. Voters will choose between Democrat-aligned Susan Crawford and GOP-backed Brad Schimel, a decision that could shift control over the state’s highest court.
Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, a Democratic-aligned organization focused on volunteer initiatives for the Wisconsin race, remarked, “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.”
With this spending, Building America’s Future becomes the second-largest Republican-aligned spender in the race, behind Schimel’s campaign. A spokesperson for Building America’s Future declined to comment. Nonetheless, the group has begun applying pressure by supporting key aspects of Trump’s agenda, including funding digital ads encouraging Sen. Joni Ernst to endorse Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense.
Musk commented on X last month that it was “Very important to vote Republican” in the Wisconsin election to “prevent voting fraud,” referencing the liberal court’s ruling to permit absentee ballot drop boxes before the 2024 election. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020.
Schimel campaign spokesperson Jacob Fischer stated, “Susan Crawford has nationalized this race on her own, but we can’t control what happens outside of our campaign,” adding that Crawford has garnered backing from high-profile Democratic donors such as George Soros, Reid Hoffman, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Crawford herself asserted on X, “Elon Musk is buying off Brad Schimel.”
Having emerged as a significant political benefactor last election cycle, Musk invested over $290 million to support Republican candidates, primarily to aid Trump's election. His America PAC also allocated $19.2 million to more than a dozen competitive House races. Following the election, Musk announced on X that America PAC would “keep grinding” in anticipation of special elections and midterms.
Musk's engagement and the financial support from Building America’s Future reflect a growing national interest in the Wisconsin election and similar state Supreme Court races. As political battles increasingly hinge on court decisions, parties and external groups are recognizing the importance of judicial elections as sources of power.
The Wisconsin race has already drawn considerable outside funding. The House Freedom Action, affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus, recently spent at least $50,000 to target Crawford with negative ads. One advertisement decries her as a “left-wing extremist who will turn Wisconsin into Illinois,” while another identifies Soros, Hoffman, and Pritzker as her financial supporters.
Crawford's campaign has secured $4.8 million in advertising reservations, according to AdImpact, which monitors political ad spending, while Schimel has reserved $4.1 million. Key outside backers already include the liberal group A Better Wisconsin Together, which has invested over $2.3 million in television advertising, and the conservative-supporting Fair Courts America, which has committed more than $1.3 million.
As a nonprofit, Building America’s Future does not publicly disclose its donors. However, reports have indicated that Musk contributed to the organization in 2022, and he has previously shared one of their videos on X before the last election. The group has also backed several Republican-aligned super PACs, including Duty for America and Future Coalition PAC, which aimed to attract minority voters to Trump’s campaign, along with another super PAC, Stand For Us PAC, that engaged in down-ballot Republican primaries.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race marks a significant special election in this cycle, as Republicans seek to regain control of the court following Democrat Janet Protasiewicz's victory in 2023, which set a record for the most expensive state Supreme Court election. Democrats leveraged their majority to redraw maps, enabling them to gain more seats in the state legislature, with hopes of flipping the statehouse next year. The Supreme Court's composition could influence the maps used in future U.S. House elections in 2026.
The financial backing from Building America’s Future was anticipated in Wisconsin, as conservative groups were likely to become involved after Schimel expressed concern about the high cost of television advertising in the competitive media market.
“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 involved in previous state Supreme Court campaigns, including Protasiewicz’s race.
Roecker concluded, “This is the first big race of 2025, so there will be national attention on that.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
