The Dane County judge has raised more than $5 million, much from the state party, as Wisconsin Democrats continue their fundraising edge.

By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford, the political left’s candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2025, raised nearly $5 million through the end of 2024, thanks in part to a $1 million donation from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

By comparison, her only opponent at the moment, Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge and former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel raised more than $3 million through the end of 2024, according to mandatory campaign finance filings with the state.

Per state law, the maximum a person can give a candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court is $20,000. But a loophole in state campaign finance law allows political parties to raise unlimited amounts and donate unlimited amounts to candidates. Both candidates have taken great advantage of this. The state Republican Party has given Schimel nearly $1.7 million.

Campaigns for Wisconsin Supreme Court are technically nonpartisan, though both major parties throw support behind their preferred candidate.

The race projects to be one of the court’s most expensive ever. Whichever side’s candidate wins will control the majority of the highest court in the state.

The campaigns, their parties and independent political organizations spent a record-smashing $51 million in the last race for Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2023, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, an organization that tracks campaign finance in the state. That election flipped the majority of the court from the right to the left for the first time in years. The court then ended the Republican gerrymander of the state’s political districts. A win by Schimel could flip it back.

Crawford previously worked as a prosecutor for the state’s Department of Justice under then-Attorney General Jim Doyle. When the Democrat was elected governor, she went with him, serving as his chief legal counsel. After, Crawford worked in private practice, representing Planned Parenthood, among many other clients.

The seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is opening because left-leaning Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring.

The general election is April 1. The winner will earn a 10-year term on the state’s high court.

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.

Other news stories

The Appleton Post-Crescent ran this story about Elon Musk’s super PAC donating $1 million to the campaign.

PBS Wisconsin ran this story on the abortion case oral arguments.

The Journal Sentinel ran this story about the accusation that Schimel cut a deal with a lawyer for campaign cash.

Why race is important to conservatives here

Impacts on election integrity here

Information about Crawford’s ‘mismanagement’ at DNR here

Information about Brad Schimel and rape kits here

Crawford makes her pitch here

Crawford Slammed for Outrageous Claims here

The Federalist article on Crawford here

Claims about each candidate and the truth – Wisconsin Watch here

Billionaires on both sides flood race with cash here