The Liberals keep the Supreme Wisconsin Court despite Trump and Musk: NPR

Madison, WISC. – County judge Susan Crawford won elections before the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, according to a race call from the Associated Press.

Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, who received financial support from Elon Musk and a The approval of President Donald Trump. His victory means that the liberal majority 4-3 of the non-partisan court will remain in place.

The race was to be the most supreme state Election of courts never By the Brennan Center for Justice, a group of reflection and defense of democracy. The expenses of candidates and their supporters would have exceeded $ 100 million.

The money fueled a deadly electoral cycle. This is partly because of the national race challenges, which was considered a measure of the feeling of voters and an early indication of how a swing state would react to the involvement of figures lined up by Trump.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m., the local time, Crawford, addressed enthusiastic supporters and said that Schimel had called him to concede the race. She referred to the money Musk had given the support of her opponent.

“As a little girl who grew up in Chippewa Falls, I could never have imagined that I would adopt the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin – and we won,” said Crawford, promising to be “just justice, fair and common sense”.

Schimel told his supporters that he had accepted the results.

Abortion, unions and perhaps redistribution could be decided by the courtyard

Among the questions before the court is abortion – and If an early prohibition of war Replaces the law of the state authorizing abortion in Wisconsin up to around 20 weeks of pregnancy. Another case covers a 2011 Law This has prohibited most public employees of Wisconsin in collective negotiations.

Musk injected himself into the race saying that the court could end up redrawing the voting districts in a way that could cost the Republicans their majority in the House of Representatives of the United States. He and the groups aligned with him gave some $ 20 million to support Schimel, a curator. He also offered $ 100 to people who signed a petition against “militant judges”. To one rally On Sunday, he gave $ 1 million each to two participants.

The company of musk, tesla, has continued the state of Wisconsin For the right to sell cars directly to consumers. The current state law indicates that most cars must be sold through dealerships.

Crawford has worked on reproductive rights and voting rights as a private lawyer

Born and raised in the northwest of Wisconsin, Crawford has shaped his beginning of a career alongside the former Wisconsin Democratic Governor Jim DoyleFirst as his deputy prosecutor general, and later as his general lawyer. Later, she worked as a private lawyer in Affairs representing Planned Parenthood, the unions and contesting the law of the voter of Wisconsin. She was elected judge of the circuit court in the county of Dane, which houses the capital of Madison, in 2018.

Schimel, a county judge of Waukesha, is a Former republican attorney general Who supported the law on the identification of voters and declared that the old law on abortion was valid, but the question should be subject to the “will of the people”.

Crawford and his donors sought to paint Schimel as an extension of Trump’s White House and herself as a more measured lawyer with a stronger record on women’s problems.

Crawford was supported by the Wisconsin Democratic Party, which contributed at least $ 10 million to his race. The national megadonors such as the governor of Illinois JB Pritzker, George Soros and the Schusterman family also contributed to the party.

It was also approved by former President Barack Obama, several unions, Planned Parenthood, and Emilys List, a group based in Washington, DC, who supports candidates for abortion rights.

Schimel has received huge sums from conservative donors, including the owners of the Uiine Packaging Company, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, and their shorts of America PAC. Schimel also received at least $ 9 million from Wisconsin Gop.

Neither Schimel nor Crawford would commit raising hearing cases involving the parts of the states or other eminent donors. The two sought to portray the other as a unique fee to their donors, even as the law of the State Offer wide latitude judges When it comes to deciding how and when to challenge.

Crawford must serve on August 1 to serve a ten -year term.

Anya Van Wagtendonk is the journalist of the State Capitol for the public radio of Wisconsin. Rich Kremer of Wisconsin public radio also contributed to this story.