Voters filled two House seats, a judicial seat in a state Supreme Court, and answered a ballot question, all with implications for the Trump agenda.
Voters in Florida and Wisconsin went to the polls on April 1 to decide races that could significantly impact the composition of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Trump agenda.
In Florida, voters filled two House seats in special congressional elections.
Wisconsin voters filled a judicial seat that could have altered the balance of power on the state’s Supreme Court. Wisconsinites also faced a question about voter ID and the state constitution.
1. Wisconsin Retains Liberal Majority on Supreme Court
2. Republicans Retain 2 House Seats, Boosting Majority
3. Democrats Say Closer-Than-Expected Florida Result Bodes Well for 2026
4. Wisconsin Approves Adding Voter ID Requirement to State Constitution
Here’s what happened at the polls.
1. Wisconsin Retains Liberal Majority on Supreme Court
Susan Crawford, a candidate backed by in-state Democrats and supported by millions in out-of-state donations, has won the most expensive Supreme Court seat in state history.
Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, a former Republican attorney general who had President Donald Trump’s endorsement, though her straw opponent was tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Despite benefiting from millions in out-of-state donations, Crawford was able to portray the race as a battle to keep Musk from buying a seat on the state’s high court through donations in support of Schimel.
Musk donated $3 million to the state’s GOP and handed out two $1 million checks to signers of a petition against judicial activism, which he portrayed as a publicity event to draw attention to Schimel’s candidacy.
Billionaires George Soros and JB Pritzker donated $2 million and $1.5 million, respectively, to the state’s Democratic Party.
The bonanza, which included tens of millions in smaller donations, enabled Crawford to outspend her opponent by more than two to one. Other groups spent more than $81 million in support of the candidates, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Musk pitched the race as a battle for the future of the state and of the country. He said that if liberals retain their current 4–3 majority on the court, congressional district maps will be redrawn to favor Democrats, imperiling the GOP majority there.
Crawford’s message proved more compelling. An Ashwaubenon voter told The Epoch Times after casting a ballot, “I came to vote against Elon Musk.”
Crawford, currently a circuit court judge in Dane County, led with nearly 56 percent of the vote after 70 percent of ballots had been counted.
By Lawrence Wilson, Jacob Burg and T.J. Muscaro
