Dane County Judge Susan Crawford’s election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1 marked the end of the most expensive judicial race in American history. Residents of Wisconsin can now breathe a sigh of relief after being bombarded with $109 million in political messaging during the election cycle, which was driven by the pivotal position the court holds in the state’s politics.
Lawmakers and advocates are now pushing for reform to prevent further record-breaking spending in the next five Wisconsin Supreme Court elections until 2030. Some are considering introducing stricter limits on contributions for Supreme Court races and bringing back a public financing system to reduce the influence of big money donors.
With the recent involvement of tech mogul Elon Musk and other billionaire backers in judicial races, there is growing concern over the influence of money in shaping the state’s judiciary. Wisconsin currently has some of the most lax campaign finance laws in the country, allowing unlimited contributions to political parties which can then be transferred to candidates.
Senator Kelda Roys is considering introducing legislation to limit all spending or donations for Supreme Court races to $20,000. She also wants to reinstate a system where candidates could opt for public financing to reduce the influence of wealthy donors in elections.
The state Supreme Court and legislators have the power to implement rules that govern judicial elections, but there has been little progress on strengthening rules around recusals for judges who have received campaign donations. With several high court races coming up in the next few years, many are calling for meaningful campaign finance reform to restore confidence in the state’s justice system.
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