Early voting in Wisconsin Supreme Court race tests enthusiasm on both sides, with key cases likely

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin voters began to cast their ballots Tuesday in a pivotal state Supreme Court race that will determine whether liberals keep their slim majority on the highest court in a crucial presidential battleground.

The first day of early voting, two weeks before the April 1 election between Republican-backed Brad Schimel and Democratic-supported Susan Crawford, will test how energized each side’s voters are in the hotly contested race.

The election, which has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk and attracted tens of millions of dollars in spending, is seen as a referendum on how voters are responding to the first months of Trump’s Republican presidency.

It comes after the Democratic-backed candidate won in 2023 and flipped control of the state Supreme Court to liberals for the first time in 15 years. Since then, the court has thrown out Republican-drawn legislative maps, which led to Democratic gains in the November election, and reinstated absentee-ballot drop boxes. It’s heard a case challenging an 1849 law banning abortions in the state but has yet to issue its ruling. Cases related to the strength of public sector unions, voting rules and congressional district boundaries are likely to lie ahead.

Retired electrician Maggie Freespirit, 58, was among the first to vote early at a polling site in downtown Madison, the heavily Democratic state capital.

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She said she voted for Crawford because she knows the Democratic-backed candidate will support abortion rights. But she is nervous about Crawford’s chances.

“I’m still amazed at how many people are supporting what the Republicans are doing,” she said.

That support was visible at a Monday night rally on the eve of early voting hosted by the president’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

Republican voter Lou Kowieski, a 53-year-old salesman from Oconomowoc, was among hundreds of people who attended the event in deep-red Waukesha County. He said he planned to cast his ballot for Schimel.

“If Schimel loses, the Supreme Court will continue to move left and avoid the rule of law,” Kowieski said.

The race is the most expensive court race on record in the U.S., with spending at $59 million, the Brennan Center for Justice said Monday based on its own tally. The amount broke the record set by the Wisconsin Supreme Court race in 2023 and is sure to go higher, with the election still two weeks away.

The contest has attracted more than $11 million in spending from groups backed by Musk, the world’s wealthiest person.

Schimel attended Trump Jr.'s event, co-hosted with conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Trump Jr. urged voters to engage in the race and said a win is imperative to protect his father’s agenda.

Billionaire Democrats, including philanthropist George Soros and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, are spending to help Crawford in the race. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, will be in Wisconsin on Tuesday night to host an anti-Musk town hall to encourage Democrats to vote early. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder held a fundraiser in Madison on Monday and was planning an early voting event Tuesday with a Milwaukee group that works to get Black voters to the polls.

Early voting in Wisconsin is not offered everywhere and runs through March 30, two days before the election.

Crawford and her Democratic allies have tried to energize voters by nationalizing the race and making it a referendum on Musk and Trump. Crawford referred to Musk as “Elon Schimel” in a debate last week and said the Tesla and SpaceX CEO “has basically taken over Brad Schimel’s campaign.”

Musk’s groups began spending days after Tesla sued Wisconsin over a decision blocking it from opening dealerships in the state. That case could end up before the state Supreme Court.

Schimel has said he would not be beholden to Trump or Musk, despite massive spending on the race by groups Musk supports. A group Musk founded is distributing flyers that say electing Schimel is essential to protecting Trump’s agenda.

“If President Trump or anyone defies Wisconsin law and I end up with a case in front of me, I’ll hold them accountable as I would anybody in my courtroom,” Schimel said during last week’s debate.

Schimel is a longtime backer of Trump and attended his inauguration in January. On Saturday, Schimel attended a Mega MAGA rally and posed for a picture in front of an oversized inflatable Trump with its fist raised and a “Vote Brad Schimel Supreme Court” poster on its chest.

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Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed from New York.