Elon Musk has taken a sudden, intense interest in the Wisconsin Supreme Court this year, plowing at least $18m into the campaign of conservative circuit judge Brad Schimel ahead of the state’s election on April 1 to find a replacement for the retiring liberal Ann Walsh Bradley.
The court currently has a four-three liberal majority but, with Bradley stepping down, Schimel’s election in her stead would swing the ideological balance in favor of the right – although the race is, technically speaking, nonpartisan. He is up against a more moderate rival in Susan Crawford.
