Elon Musk says he's hitting the campaign trail in Wisconsin, will personally hand out $1 million checks
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
- Elon Musk says he's going to Wisconsin.
- He is pulling out his 2024 playbook to try to swing a closely-watched state Supreme Court election.
- The world's richest man will also give away two $1 million checks to voters.
Elon Musk is pulling out all the stops ahead of a closely watched Wisconsin state Supreme Court election, though he apparently changed his strategy after possibly violating state law.
On Friday afternoon, Musk wrote on X that he would personally hand out $1 million checks to two people who signed petition against "activist judges."
Earlier on Friday, in a now deleted post on X, the world's richest man had promised to hand out checks to attendees "in appreciation for you taking the time to vote," a potential violation of Wisconsin law, which prohibits offering "anything of value" to a voter.
The billionaire's spending in Wisconsin is his biggest post-2024 bet thus far. Musk and America PAC have spent over $12 million on the race to decide the outcome of the state's highest court through 2028.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court, though officially nonpartisan, currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. Republicans are particularly worried about the possibility that the state's congressional districts could be redrawn, cutting into their 6-2 advantage. The GOP holds a narrow majority in the US House of Representatives, meaning they need as much favorable territory as possible for the 2026 midterms.
"It could cause the House to switch to Democrat if that redrawing takes place," Musk said during a recent X space with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, expressing why he was so keyed into the race.
If Democrats' favored candidate, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, wins, liberals will hang onto their advantage through at least 2028. If Republicans' preferred choice, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, wins, then conservatives will have a better chance given that the swing vote, Justice Brian Hagedorn, leans right. Justices serve 10-year terms, which based on the progression of retirements means liberals could retake the majority as soon as next year.