The elections to the Supreme Wisconsin Court which broke spending records could serve as a decisive test for Trump, Musk

Wisconsin voters have a say in a hot bout race that could offer a barometer on how Americans feel at this stage of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The Judge of the County of Waukesha supported by the Republican, Brad Schimel, and the county judge of Dane supported by Democrat, Susan Crawford, are the candidates of the breed of the Supreme Mark of the brand brand, who is technically non -partisan – but he has become the center of a political storm, as well as the target of millions spent by groups linked to the billionaire Musk.

Schimel said he felt confident after voting to Genesee on Tuesday morning.

“I think we are going to succeed. I cannot believe the energy we have seen on the campaign campaign. I have never seen it like that. Each rally, every event we go, people are so excited. They present themselves en masse … We will win this and, impatient to restore objectivity to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, as I have always promised. ”

After voting to Madison, Crawford told journalists that she thought that attention on the race was a sign of its importance, and that Musk’s participation was “undemocratic”.

“I think that the interest in the race is only a sign of the importance of our courts at the moment,” she said.

When asked what it would mean if Musk’s efforts worked, Crawford said: “Well, I think it will be a sad day for democracy … But I am quite confident that voters will see through these tactics and that we will have a successful day.”

The election will determine which candidates, in the running to replace the retirement judge Ann Walsh Bradley, will help determine the ideological penchant of the court, which is currently leaning liberal.

“This is playing out Like a Presidential-Style Election. You turn on your tv, Any Local Broadcast Station Here Across the State of Wisconsin, You Are Inandated With Political-Type Ads for What is Technically a Nonpartisan Judicial Race, but this is a full-on political race… this is becoming True Litmus Test for the First 100 Days of the Trump Administration, “Matt Smith, Political Director at Milwaukee’s Abc Affiliate Wisn-Tv, said last week ABC News Live, Diane Macedo.

Independent voter Eric Sams voted for Trump in November, but said he voted for Crawford.

“I believe that women’s rights are problems. Even Trump says that it is a state problem. If you want to make it a state problem, our state must have access so that women can have access to reproductive rights,” said Sams.

Dwayne Heulse also voted for Trump, but said that the approval of the president of Schimel did not matter.

“I don’t care who Trump supports,” he said. “I will continue the guy who, I think, is the best, and that’s what I watch first. He can support the man on the moon, but I will not vote for him unless I think he is a person who will respond to the qualities I want, especially as a judge.”

Asked Tuesday about national attention on the race, Schimel said: “If you told me six months ago that it was what was going to happen, he wouldn’t have thought it. But we are there, and you know, you just have to keep my head down. I was running for voters from Wisconsin, it was – I ran a 72 -year -old race.”

The winner of this race will join the bench, because the court is potentially struggling with key voter issues such as access to abortion and redistribution. For example, there is a case of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin concerning if the constitution of the Wisconsin protects the right to an abortion, which the Court could consider after the new justice is seated.

The race could also preview how voters of the state of the battlefield feel a few months in Trump’s second term – in particular as musk and his work with the federal government through the government’s Ministry of Effectiveness becomes a key problem given the investments of its groups in the race.

Musk continued to push the idea that the Wisconsin electoral elections are important because of the way in which potential redistribution cases could have an impact on the balance of powers in the House of Representatives. He told Fox News without proposing that if the conservative candidate is losing, the Republicans could lose their majority in the Chamber because the districts of the Wisconsin Congress would be redesigned.

“Well, the reason why the elections of tonight are so important is that the judge’s breed will decide whether the district of the Wisconsin, the districts are becoming again. They are trying in a way of Gerrymander Wisconsin to remove two republican seats. And as you know, the house is currently republican by a thin margin of razor, which means that the judge of judge The Republicans are losing control of the house. “

The elected judge will not take up his duties and not command the districts to restart. The court could review the districts of the congress if the question concerns the court in a case.

“This is why it is so important, and whatever the party controls the house, to a large extent, controls the country which then directs the course of Western civilization,” said Musk in a high -level town hall on Sunday in Green Bay.

On Sunday, the technological billionaire also made two $ 1 million checks controversial to participants during a rally in his last efforts to support Schimel.

Schimel, the candidate supported by the Republicans, is a former prosecutor general of the State and judge of the circuit court in the county of Waukesha. He received nearly $ 20 million in support (such as spending on television advertisements) from groups related to Musk, According to a statement by the Brennan Center for Justice.

Schimel also received mentions from Trump, Musk, Donald Trump Jr. and other key conservative personalities.

Schimel welcomed conservative support, but said during a rally last week that he would treat any case fairly, especially if it was a case deposited by Trump.

However, Crawford and his allies allegedly alleged that he would not deal with cases involving Trump or musk fairly, and she made Musk a main target of her campaign.

Schimel, asked Thursday By ABC affiliate Wisn To share his closing argument before the last days of the race, said: “My closing argument is that people have to take this race seriously. So much things at stake. We must restore objectivity to this court at the moment … We must put the court in his appropriate role where he does not make the law.

Crawford, supported by the Democrats, is a judge of the County Circuit of Dane and a former private lawyer. At points, she represented democratic aligned groups such as Planned Parenthood, an organization supporting access to abortion.

The main liberal donors such as the governor of Illinois JB Pritzker and Democratic Donator George Soros gave money to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and the State Party made a donation of $ 2 million to Crawford. The National Democratic Party has also invested in the race. She also has the approvals of former President Barack Obama and the former vice-president Kamala Harris.

Crawford said Wisn That his closing argument concerned a impartial court: “It is a question of ensuring that we have a supreme court which is fair and impartial in the interpretation of our laws to protect the rights of Wisconsinites. The other choice is an extreme supporter, someone who sells to special interests, has a long history of doing this, and has now attached to Elon Musk.”

According to the Brennan Center for Justice on Monday, more than $ 90 million was spent in the race – Make it the most expensive judicial election in the history of the country. This amount includes more than $ 49 million spent by Schimel or the supporting groups, and more than $ 40 million spent by Crawford or groups supporting it.

The non -profit organization indicates that the previous record for expenses in a Supreme Court of the State was during the Wisconsin Supreme Court elections in 2023, when $ 56 million was spent.

Voters have taken note. A Wisconsinite who voted early told Wisn: “There is a lot of external money arriving, in our state. And I wanted to make sure that my voice is represented and not other people.”

On Monday, around 644,000 people in Wisconsin voted early in person or by mail, according to the Wisconsin electoral commission.

The Wisconsin will also vote on a ballot initiative on the opportunity to devote an identity document to vote in the constitution of the State. The identification of voters is already required by the law of the state; Accelerating it in the constitution of the State would not establish new requirements, but would probably make the implementation of the law more difficult.

Democratic groups and voting rights organizations have criticized the election initiative as potentially privileged voters. Supporters of the initiative argue that it will strengthen the security of elections in Wisconsin and Cement A requirement that has already been in place.

A survey of the Marquette University Law School taken at the end of February I also found that a majority of voters registered in the Wisconsin support the identification of the photo to vote, and separately, the majority of voters registered in the Wisconsin have declared that they would support the voting initiative.

Rachel Scott, Ben Siegel, ABC News, Steakin, Averi Harper, Hannah Demissie and Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.