MILWAUKEE, WI – Billionaire Elon Musk, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, suffered a major political defeat Tuesday when his heavily funded campaign to elect conservative candidate Brad Schimel to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court ended in a decisive loss to liberal candidate Susan Crawford.
Musk’s $20 Million Gamble Falls Short
Musk, now a key Republican influencer as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, went all-in on the race, funneling over $20 million into ads and digital outreach.
His aggressive campaign efforts included:
- Television ad blitzes across Wisconsin
- Heavy digital ad targeting on Google and Facebook
- On-the-ground voter mobilization teams
- A rally appearance wearing a cheesehead hat, where he personally handed out two $1 million checks
Despite these efforts, Schimel lost by what could be a double-digit margin, raising doubts about Musk’s political influence in future elections.
Musk’s Response: “Expected to Lose”
Following the loss, Musk took to social media to downplay the defeat, writing that he “expected to lose” but remains committed to shaping Republican election strategies.
“We knew Wisconsin would be an uphill battle, but we weren’t going to let Democrats define the narrative,” said a source familiar with Musk’s strategy.
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Democrats Seize the Opportunity
Democrats quickly framed Crawford’s victory as a referendum on Musk’s deep-pocketed political meddling.
“Wisconsin voters sent a decisive message to Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and DOGE by rejecting an extreme Republican for their Supreme Court: our democracy is not for sale,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, himself a billionaire donor to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, took a jab at Musk, posting:
“Elon Musk is not good at this.”
Musk’s Next Move: 2026 Midterms
Despite the setback, sources confirm Musk remains fully committed to playing a major role in the 2026 midterms to help Republicans retain control of the House of Representatives.
Musk previously played a critical role in Trump’s 2024 re-election, particularly in Pennsylvania, where his digital campaign strategies helped secure a landslide victory.
At a rally, Trump acknowledged Musk’s influence on the election process, stating:
“[Musk] knows those computers better than anybody. All those computers, those vote-counting computers, and we ended up winning Pennsylvania like in a landslide.”
With Musk undeterred and Democrats ready to counter his influence, the stage is set for a high-stakes political showdown in the upcoming elections.
