In a state where campaign season can be felt all year round, Wisconsin voters returned to the ballot on Tuesday, voting in a nearly $100 million race for control of the state Supreme Court.
When dozens of voters came and went to Lutheran Church in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, they said the candidates' names were far more than they were on the ballot. Local referendums were being closely monitored to put more money into the Racine County public schools. There were measures in the state's constitution that would disgrace the voter's identification law.
And then there was Elon Musk, a tech billionaire and White House adviser. Having gained drastic powers over the government through President Trump, Musk has become a deeply polarized figure among Wisconsinians.
“Does my face say it all?” said Lydia Bella, 54, a banker, frowned at the sound of Musk's name. “He's scary.”
Democrat Vera said Liberal Supreme Court nominee Judge Susan Crawford hopes that the victory over conservative candidate Brad Simel will send a message that billionaires like Musk will not play a role in local politics.
Election officials said early voting turnout was above 600,000 votes, suggesting that the total turnout could exceed 2 million votes. Approximately 1.8 million voted in the 2023 state Supreme Court election.
Judges Crawford and Judges Simel voted Tuesday morning. At a senior-friendly residence on the Far West Side of Madison, Wisconsin, Judge Crawford completed the vote on his left hand, fed it with a voting machine, and made an even more important decision.
She chose what she said, “Every vote is important” – skipping the traditional “I voted” option and pasted it onto the lapel of her jacket.
“I think these are designed by kids,” she said. “I think it's fine.”
Some Wisconsin voters on Tuesday spoke of growing frustration over the state's politicization of the state's Supreme Court, which is now dominated by a slim, liberal majority.
Truck driver James Wanpole, 61, said he supported Trump in November. “I like what she is,” he said. “She seems to be the only person who has something in her head.”
Scott Kohlin, 47, who retired from the Navy and owns his own delivery business, said he usually voted for Republicans and supported Trump in November. Trump carried Racine County 7 percent points more than Vice President Kamala Harris.
Korslin said she was ideologically different from Justice Crawford in particular about her support for abortion rights, and she said she voted for Judge Simel on Tuesday.
He said he believes the federal government should be smaller, vaster and more efficient. But he was worried about how the Trump administration was being cut.
“I think they should use Mesal, not x,” he said.
Kohlin was unhappy with the directions of courts and US politics.
“The ideology is so political, so much political for me on both sides,” he said. “They just go even further from the middle to the farther.”
Kitchen manager Danny Cristforos, 60, left the poll after voting for Judge Crawford.
In November, unhappy with the president's options, Cristophoros wrote his name on the vote.
“I don't like how things go with the amount of money spent on elections,” he criticized Musk for his involvement in Wisconsin's race. “He should leave from that. He's an outsider.”
