Musk, Soros help push spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court election toward $100 million

USA Today

18-03-2025

Musk, Soros help push spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court election toward $100 million
Spending in a Wisconsin state Supreme Court race could ultimately top $100 million, doubling the record-breaking spending from the race for the Badger State's high court just two years ago, the executive director of an election watchdog group said Monday.
"Right now, we are seeing unprecedented spending," said Nick Ramos, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
With two weeks to go before the April 1 election, the two campaigns and special-interest groups are already closing in on the $51 million national spending record for a court race that the organization tallied in the hard-fought 2023 election, he said. In that race, ideological control of the state Supreme Court flipped from conservative to liberal.
This year's high-stakes election pits liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford against conservative Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel in a race that will again determine ideological control of the Wisconsin high court.
More: Testy moments, abortion and billionaires. Takeaways from the Wisconsin Supreme Court debate
A key metric to predict the price tag of the upcoming election comes from independent expenditures — spending for or against a candidate without consultation or coordination with the supported candidate.
That figure has increased about 103% from the same point two years ago, said Samantha De Forest-Davis, research director for the watchdog group.
Specifically, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has tallied $29.24 million in independent expenditures two weeks out from the election compared with $14.41 million at the equivalent date in 2023, she said. And, unlike two years ago, this year's race did not feature a primary.
"These numbers just continue to increase daily," she said.
Big bucks from Elon Musk, George Soros
The race has featured more than $11 million in spending by Elon Musk, the billionaire and close adviser to President Donald Trump — and a seven-figure counter-initiative by Democratic Party leaders dubbed "The People v Elon Musk."
Ramos said much attention has been focused on Musk because of his spending via America PAC, his super PAC, and a second group, the political nonprofit Building America's Future in addition to his front group calling itself Progress 2028.
Still, he noted, Musk is not the only ultra-wealthy person directing large sums of money into the race.
On the liberal side, funders have included billionaire investor George Soros, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Milwaukee philanthropist Lynde Uihlein and retired software engineer Gloria Page, the mother of Google co-founder Larry Page.
On the conservative side, donors include ABC Supply owner Diane Hendricks, dubbed the country's wealthiest self-made woman; Elizabeth Uihlein, Uline president and one of the biggest Republican donors in the U.S.; and Joe Ricketts, founder of Ameritrade and an owner of the Chicago Cubs.
"The millionaires and the billionaires are right now hedging their bets and trying to see how we come out of April 1," Ramos said.
Contact Daniel Bice at [phone] or [e-mail]. Follow him on X at @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.
Alison Dirr can be reached at [e-mail].