Two judges vying to be Wisconsin’s newest Supreme Court justice engaged in a heated debate on Wednesday evening, arguing over issues of impartiality, abortion, crime, and partisanship. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel, a conservative, and Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, a liberal, traded barbs with Schimel criticizing Democrats for injecting politics into the state’s high court and Crawford accusing Schimel of taking partisan stances. The upcoming election is crucial as liberal Janet Protasiewicz’s win in 2023 gave the liberals the majority on the court, prompting intense fundraising efforts from national Democratic groups and GOP PACs.
Schimel criticized Crawford for accepting support from liberal mega-donor George Soros, while Crawford fired back by calling out Elon Musk’s involvement in the race. The debate also saw discussion on Schimel’s support for an 1849 abortion law and Crawford’s questioning of his impartiality. The race is expected to break records in terms of fundraising, with Musk’s America PAC spending at least $1 million on canvassing operations in the state. Both candidates avoided directly addressing the support they received from Soros and Musk, respectively.
The upcoming April 1 election is being held to fill the seat of retiring liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. The debate highlighted the sharp divide between the two judges and is the only scheduled event between them. With such high stakes in the balance, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race is expected to be closely watched and highly contested, with accusations and funding playing prominent roles in defining the campaign.
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