Tech billionaire Elon Musk is set to visit Wisconsin today, as the state’s high-stakes Supreme Court race provides an opportunity to flex his growing political influence.
Megadonors from both parties are directing millions to the contest, which is set to decide ideological control of the battleground state’s high court.
The race comes on the heels of Musk’s key supporting role in President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, and is viewed as a potential bellwether for how voters are receiving Trump’s return to the White House.
Musk’s visit: Musk will attend an event naming the winners of million-dollar giveaways orchestrated by his super PAC to reward petition signees, reprising a controversial tactic he used in last year’s election. He and groups he’s funded in the past have poured millions into the race.
Musk’s commitment to the Wisconsin contest amounts to a demonstration of the financial firepower he can bring to the 2026 midterms.
Ads shape the race: Ads for the liberal candidate, Judge Susan Crawford, have sought to tie the conservative candidate, Judge Brad Schimel, to potentially unpopular policies linked to the Trump administration, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Musk’s role in Trump’s sweeping federal government overhaul.
Schimel and his supporters, meanwhile, have leaned into tough-on-crime messaging and sharp criticism of some of Crawford’s rulings.
Meanwhile, a legal battle: Wisconsin’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul is suing Elon Musk’s super PAC over the legality of his million-dollar giveaways under state election law.
In an interesting twist, Crawford was assigned the case in Dane County Circuit Court, but has recused herself given the ongoing contest.
CNN’s Arlette Saenz contributed reporting to this post.
