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On Sunday (March 30), tech billionaire Elon Musk held a town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and awarded two individuals with checks of a million dollars each on stage as he declared them members of his political action committee. The move comes days before a critical election for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with Democratic Party favorite Judge Susan Crawford going up against former state attorney general and Judge Brad Schimel.
“It’s a super big deal,” Musk said to a 2,000-person crowd after taking the stage in a yellow cheesehead hat, an homage to the Packers of the National Football League. “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.” The Tesla co-founder went on to talk about the importance of the election. “I think this will be important for the future of civilization,” he said. “It’s that significant.” He then presented the checks to Ekaterina Diestler and Nicholas Jacobs, saying, “Reason for the checks is that it’s really just to get attention. It causes legacy media to like kind of lose their minds.”
The state supreme court’s current makeup shows Democrats with a 4-3 majority, and a win by Crawford over Schimel (who is an unabashed supporter of President Donald Trump) could determine how the court will rule on abortion rights this year. Another issue before the state Supreme Court is the gerrymandering of voting districts. A redrawing of lines could give Wisconsin two more seats in the House of Representatives, dramatically impacting elections in 2026 and the presidential election in 2028. Union rights and voting rules are also expected to be taken up by the court.
Musk’s involvement in the race individually since February (he promised $100 to voters who will pick Schimel over Crawford) and through other groups has totaled $20 million to date. It’s a repeat of his efforts in Pennsylvania in the weeks before the 2024 presidential election. But Democrats have mustered up a strong counter offensive to Musk’s tactics. Judge Crawford’s campaigns have put focus on Musk’s meddling with the federal government through his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team, and her allies have reminded voters that Tesla is currently suing Wisconsin for the right to open dealerships there.
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Photo: The Washington Post / Getty
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