Democrat-backed candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Dane County Judge Susan Crawford will replace a retiring left-leaning justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, cementing its liberal majority. Unofficial results showed Crawford defeating opponent Brad Schimel by a margin of more than 8 percentage points on Tuesday night. Schimel conceded. The race drew national attention in recent weeks, as major political players like President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and former President Barack Obama stepped in with funding or endorsements. The race also broke turnout and spending records, with Musk and groups he funded spending more than $21 million. Overall spending in support of both candidates passed $98 million, according to tallies from the Brennan Center for Justice.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Republicans from Florida held on to two seats in Congress despite facing well-funded competition.

Why was the Wisconsin race so  important? Though Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are non-partisan, the seven-member Supreme Court is expected to rule on critical issues like abortion laws and gerrymandering. Republicans hoped to flip the court to a 4-3 conservative majority. Trump and Musk endorsed Schimel, while former President Barack Obama endorsed Crawford. Musk even traveled to Wisconsin on Sunday to campaign for Schimel. Crawford, who will hold her seat for the next three years, campaigned on her support for abortion and opposition to voter ID requirements.

Did Wisconsin pass a voter ID requirement? Voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that requires voter ID on Tuesday. An unofficial tally Tuesday night showed the referendum passing with over 62% of the vote. Musk and Trump appeared to take solace in the passage of the amendment, with Musk characterizing it as more important than winning the state Supreme Court seat. Wisconsin already has a state law requiring voter ID, but the constitutional amendment will be much harder to change.

What about Florida? Two of Florida’s seats in the U.S. Congress will remain Republican, padding the GOP control of the chamber.

• In the 1st Congressional District, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Republican Jimmy Patronis defeated Democrat Gay Valimont, who ran a well-funded campaign. Patronis will replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who recently resigned.

• In Florida’s 6th Congressional District, GOP candidate Randy Fine won over Democratic candidate Joshua Weil. The district has elected Republicans to Congress for the last 35 years.

Dig deeper: Read my report on Musk’s $2 million giveaway in Wisconsin.