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Democrat Susan Crawford defeated Republican Brad Schimel in a race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat that drew nationwide attention as an indicator of the political influence of Donald Trump‘s key ally, Elon Musk.
Crawford was projected the winner by NBC News within an hour after polls closed, and the AP projected the race about 20 minutes later. Major cable news networks all carried the returns, unusual for an off-year statewide judicial race.
But the election not only determined the balance of the Wisconsin’s highest court , but it is being closely analyzed by pundits as it is the first statewide race since Trump took office in January.
With Crawford expected to get a comfortable victory, the results were a rebuke to Musk, who had poured tens of millions into the campaign and offered $1 million checks to two state voters at a rally on Sunday. His Super PAC offered $50 for photo uploads outside polling locations.
In contrast to last year, when Musk campaigned with Trump, the tech billionaire has become a much more polarizing figure, as he has been responsible for administration efforts to slash through government agencies, firing employees and freezing grants. Recent weekends have seen widespread protests at Tesla dealerships.
Trump also urged voters to reject Crawford, calling her a “liberal lunatic.”
Democrats also spent heavily in the race, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker backing Crawford and George Soros giving to the Wisconsin Democratic Party, per NPR. All told, spending in the race was nearing $100 million, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Republicans did hold on to two congressional seats in Florida. Randy Fine was elected to succeed Michael Waltz in a Daytona Beach area district, and Jimmy Patronis won a Panhandle district previously held by Matt Gaetz. Democrats said that despite their defeats, the margins narrowed considerably from last year’s presidential election.
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