(The Center Square) – The first look at just how expensive Wisconsin’s next race for the supreme court is going to be is now available.
Liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford on Thursday announced her latest fundraising numbers. Crawford reported she raised $2.8 million in 2024, which her campaign called “a historic sum and more than any Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign in history, including right wing extremist Brad Schimel’s campaign.”
Schimel on Wednesday reported he raised $2.2 million for all of 2024.
Schimel’s campaign report notes he raised $1.5 million in the last six months of last year. Crawford raised $2.4 million in the same six months.
Both campaigns made a point to say just how much of their money came from Wisconsin donors.
“Judge Crawford’s campaign is powered by grassroots donors from 71 of 72 counties across Wisconsin,” Crawfords campaign said in a statement. “[Including] more than 8,000 contributions from nearly 6,000 individual donors. Judge Crawford is entering 2025 with over $2.1 million cash-on-hand – a historic sum and once again more than Brad Schimel.”
“Ninety-eight percent of the [Schimel] campaign’s donors are from Wisconsin,” Schimel’s campaign announced. “The only campaign running a statewide race, the Schimel campaign has received contributions from donors in 70 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Schimel begins 2025 with $1.8 million cash-on-hand – more than $1.5 million than any conservative Supreme Court candidate in Wisconsin history.”
The money is just the beginning of what is expected to be a flood of cash in the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The state’s last race for the high court in 2023 saw a record amount of spending.
In all, the race between conservative Dan Kelly and liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz cost $50 million. That makes it the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.
Some politicos expect this April’s race between Schimel and Crawford to perhaps top that.
Longtime liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring, and her seat could flip control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court back to conservative control.