Dems Accuse Musk Of ‘Buying’ Wisconsin Race — While Their Own Candidate Leans On Coastal Donor Army

Elon Musk’s $2 million pledge to Wisconsin Supreme Court voters drew Democratic fire Friday — even as their own candidate relies primarily on out-of-state donors.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched newspaper ads across Wisconsin Friday accusing Musk of trying to “buy” the state’s highest court. But while Democrats decry outside influence, campaign finance records show their own nominee — liberal Judge Susan Crawford — has taken the vast majority of her financial support from donors living outside the state.

“Elon Musk has threatened Medicare, gutted Social Security services, and now he thinks he can buy himself a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a press release. “That’s why, today, the DNC is out with our first paid media explicitly calling out Musk for his attempts to meddle in Wisconsin’s elections.”

The ads, which will run through Election Day, appear in several local papers and feature the message “Wisconsin is not for sale.” DNC officials claim Musk is “trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” citing his support for conservative Judge Brad Schimel. But campaign finance data paints a more complicated picture.

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of campaign filings found that 77% of Crawford’s donors live outside of Wisconsin. Schimel’s share of out-of-state donors is just 15%. Both candidates have drawn the bulk of their actual fundraising dollar totals from inside the state, with roughly two-thirds of Crawford’s cash coming from Wisconsin and 94% of Schimel’s.

Overall, Crawford has raised more than $26 million to Schimel’s $14 million, with donors from all 50 state contributing to both campaigns, according to the outlet. The winner will determine the ideological balance of the court, which currently leans 4-3 liberal after a 2023 flip.