In less than 24 hours, Wisconsinites will head to the polls to decide who will become the next state Supreme Court justice in a race that has gotten far more coverage—and money!—than your typical off-year state election.
RedState has been reporting for a while now that an important showdown is set to take place April 1 as conservative Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel takes on liberal Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford for an open seat on the Badger State's highest court.
READ MORE: Wisconsin's Supreme Court Race Is the Most Important Election You Haven't Heard About
Schimel has the support of President Trump and Elon Musk, with the latter spending some time in Wisconsin on Sunday to whip up excitement for the election. Trump took to Truth Social in a show of support for Schimel:
He is Conservative, Strong and, above all, SANE. His Opponent is a Liberal Lunatic who will throw our Country, and the State of Wisconsin, into TOTAL CHAOS. Vote for Brad Schimel!
Trump is not wrong here—there's a lot at stake, particularly for the Republican Party. A Schimel loss would have far-reaching consequences that could, in theory and very likely in practice, affect the GOP's weak hold on the U.S. House of Representatives, not to mention wreak havoc on the Trump agenda. It certainly would make Wisconsin a lot more blue in color.
Let's take a closer look at what's on the line.
Control of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court
First, the obvious. A win by Susan Crawford would mean that retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who leans left, would be replaced by a hard-left judicial activist who is known to be soft on crime. The left would maintain their 4-3 control of the court, but it would be that much more radical due to Crawford's presence. Conversely, a Schimel win would be a huge pickup and shift the court to a conservative majority.
Needless to say, the left would dearly love to win this race for a number of reasons, but mostly because the only power they currently wield is through their activist judges. A Crawford win would further embolden Democrats to use the judiciary as a cudgel to halt the Trump agenda, or worse.
Redistricting That Could Have National Implications
There's a huge danger here that a Crawford win would have a dramatic affect on the state's political landscape, and not to the benefit of the GOP.
Back in 2023, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court declared the state's legislative maps unconstitutional and ordered that the boundaries be redrawn, which resulted in Republicans losing several seats in the State Assembly and the State Senate, weakening their majorities in both chambers.
Next stop? Redistrict the GOP into losing seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Republicans have the slimmest of majorities. Here's what Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) has to say:
“What’s at stake is control of the House of Representatives,” Van Orden said. “They’re trying to buy the House of Representatives so that they can subvert President Trump’s agenda and disenfranchise 77 million voters.”
Election Integrity Would Be in Grave Danger
Back in 2011, the Wisconsin legislature enacted a law requiring voters provide personal identification in order to vote; voters will have the opportunity on April 1 to decide on a constitutional amendment to enshrine that voter ID requirement in the state constitution.
Here's a fun fact: Susan Crawford was one of the lawyers who represented the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin in a 2011 lawsuit attempting to undo the voter ID law. Her efforts then were unsuccessful, but her position is crystal clear.
Democrats rely on lax election laws to win, so it's likely a Justice Susan Crawford would support any attempts to do away with voter ID in Wisconsin.
Abortion
A key issue at stake in the election is Wisconsin's 1849 law that bans nearly all abortions, a law that become enforceable after the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to rule this year on challenges to this law, making the election's outcome crucial for the pro-life community.
Guess who once represented Planned Parenthood? Wisconsin babies do not have a friend in Susan Crawford.
How Things Looks For Brad Schimel
Polling released Tuesday shows Crawford with a lead in early voting, but Schimel being the clear favorite of those who fall into the "likely to vote" category. The bottom line here: voter turnout on April 1 will determine the outcome.
Already voted
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) March 31, 2025
🟦Susan Crawford 55%
🟥Brad Schimel 45%
Likely to vote
🟥Brad Schimel 52.5%
🟦Susan Crawford 47.5% https://t.co/XtUgg6XVyC
With so much on the line—from election integrity and redistricting to abortion laws and the balance of power on the court—this race is far more than your run-of-the-mill judicial election. A win for Brad Schimel would be a monumental victory for conservatives, not to mention Donald Trump and Elon Musk (whose PAC has donated millions to Schimel's campaign). A win for Susan Crawford would be the rocket fuel the Democrats need after crashing and burning at the polls in 2024.
RedState will have full coverage of Tuesday's election, so be sure to join us for this nail biter. And to our Wisconsin friends: Get out and vote!
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