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Officials expect more than two million people will vote in the election, which will decide the partisan balance on the state’s Supreme Court. Many voters cite Elon Musk as a factor in the race.
April 1, 2025, 12:39 p.m. ET
In a state where campaign season can feel year-round, voters in Wisconsin returned to the polls once again on Tuesday, casting their ballots in a nearly $100 million race for control of the State Supreme Court.
As dozens of voters streamed in and out of a Lutheran church in Mount Pleasant, Wis., they said that far more than the candidates’ names were on the ballot. There was a closely watched local referendum to pump more money into Racine County’s public schools, one of many similar questions posed to voters in communities across the state. There was a measure to enshrine a voter identification law in the state’s constitution.
And then there was Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and White House adviser who has poured millions into the race for advertisements and canvassing. Mr. Musk, who has gained sweeping authority over the government through President Trump, has become a deeply polarizing figure among Wisconsinites — many of whom said they would like to see him stay out of their business.
“Does my face say it all?” said Lydia Vela, 54, a banker who grimaced at the sound of Mr. Musk’s name. “He’s scary.”
Ms. Vela, a Democrat, said she hoped that a victory for Judge Susan Crawford, the liberal State Supreme Court candidate, over the conservative contender, Brad Schimel, would send a message that billionaires like Mr. Musk should not take a role in local politics.
Election officials said that early voting turnout had surpassed 600,000 votes, suggesting total turnout could surpass two million. About 1.8 million people voted in the 2023 State Supreme Court election.
