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Don Moynihan: The Biggest Loser in Wisconsin (The richest man in the world could not buy an election)
Don Moynihan - The Biggest Loser in Wisconsin
The richest man in the world could not buy an election
Don Moynihan
Apr 01, 2025
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is the most important election since Trump took office. Wisconsin is a purple state, and Court races there have been both close and crucial. The last one, when liberals retook the majority, ended the practice of gerrymandering in the state.
One person seemed especially determined to end the new liberal majority: Elon Musk. The richest man in the world bet big in the state. And lost.
Amidst extraordinary turnout, voters rejected the Musk-endorsed candidate, weakening Musk’s reputation as a kingmaker in American politics. His personal brand is so negative that it may more than offset the money and social media support he brings to the able.
Both candidates, Brad Schmiel, the former state Attorney General for Scott Walker, and Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge, tried to make the race a referendum on Trump. But Musk insisted it be about him. He visited Wisconsin on Sunday, having dumped $25 million into the race, giving Schmiel a $9 million edge in spending. He also pushed his preferred candidate on X, posting more than 70 times on the race by Monday.
Musk’s candidate lost by 10 points. In Wisconsin terms, that is a landslide. Trump won the state by less than one percent. A GOP-backed referendum to add voter ID to the constitution, intended to boost Schmiel, passed. Dems won a less visible race, for State Superintendent for education, but only by about five percent even with an incumbent candidate. All signs suggest that Musk was a drag, rather than a boost, to the candidate he invested so much personal and financial capital into.
/snip
The richest man in the world could not buy an election
Don Moynihan
Apr 01, 2025
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is the most important election since Trump took office. Wisconsin is a purple state, and Court races there have been both close and crucial. The last one, when liberals retook the majority, ended the practice of gerrymandering in the state.
One person seemed especially determined to end the new liberal majority: Elon Musk. The richest man in the world bet big in the state. And lost.
Amidst extraordinary turnout, voters rejected the Musk-endorsed candidate, weakening Musk’s reputation as a kingmaker in American politics. His personal brand is so negative that it may more than offset the money and social media support he brings to the able.
Both candidates, Brad Schmiel, the former state Attorney General for Scott Walker, and Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge, tried to make the race a referendum on Trump. But Musk insisted it be about him. He visited Wisconsin on Sunday, having dumped $25 million into the race, giving Schmiel a $9 million edge in spending. He also pushed his preferred candidate on X, posting more than 70 times on the race by Monday.
Musk’s candidate lost by 10 points. In Wisconsin terms, that is a landslide. Trump won the state by less than one percent. A GOP-backed referendum to add voter ID to the constitution, intended to boost Schmiel, passed. Dems won a less visible race, for State Superintendent for education, but only by about five percent even with an incumbent candidate. All signs suggest that Musk was a drag, rather than a boost, to the candidate he invested so much personal and financial capital into.
/snip