In a major upset for Republicans, Wisconsin voters elected liberal candidate Susan Crawford to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel. Crawford, a circuit court judge from Dane County, will now serve a 10-year term.
The Supreme Court race, regarded as the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, was considered a referendum on the incumbent administration. Schimel received a significant amount of support and financial backing from tech billionaire Elon Musk. However, despite this support, Republicans failed to secure the seat, leading conservative commentators to point to turnout challenges.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, attributed the loss to low voter participation among Republicans. “We did a lot in Wisconsin, but we fell short. We must realize and appreciate that we are the LOW PROP party now,” Kirk wrote on X. He further warned that “special elections and off-cycle elections will continue to be a problem without a change of strategy.”
The defeat has sent shockwaves through the Republican Party, with Texas GOP Chair Abraham George (R) using the loss as a rallying call for Texas Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm election.
“Wisconsin’s loss is a wake-up call for Texas Republicans: we must out-organize Democrats in 2026 to protect our elections from voter fraud,” George wrote on X.
Wisconsin's loss is a wake-up call for Texas Republicans: we must out-organize Democrats in 2026 to protect our elections from voter fraud. We are the party of common folks. Democrats, the high propensity party of the college indoctrinated and government-dependent, live for…
— Abraham George 🇺🇸 (@abrahamgeorge) April 2, 2025
He stressed the importance of mobilizing GOP voters, arguing that Republicans need to improve their infrastructure to match Democratic fundraising and organization.
“We are the party of common folks. Democrats, the high-propensity party of the college indoctrinated and government-dependent, live for politics. Our voters, with common sense and American values, need chasing/reconnecting. We must fully fund our infrastructure to match their machine,” he wrote.
Reports have also circulated regarding Musk’s exit from the Trump Administration. President Donald Trump (R) has allegedly told his inner circle that Musk will be leaving the administration, and there’s no word on if the exit is due to the results of the election.
