Politics
NEW: Pivotal Swing State Supreme Court Race Is Tied, Poll Finds
A new poll released by the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) on Wednesday shows the two candidates tied among likely voters just a couple weeks ahead of the April 1 election.
The survey, which was conducted between March 9 and 10, measured a 47-47 split between former Attorney General Brad Schimel and Judge Susan Crawford. An additional five percent of voters remain undecided, placing the pivotal race in pure toss-up territory.
While Wisconsin’s Supreme Court races are classified as nonpartisan, the ideological lines between the two candidates are clear. Schmiel is a conservative and a member of the Republican Party, while left-wing political action committees and groups have thrown their weight behind Crawford.
“Like many Wisconsin statewide elections, this race is very close and will come down to the wire,” said WMC Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley. “This is a winnable race for either candidate right now, and will simply boil down to whichever side does a better job of getting out their voters. It really cannot be overstated how much is on the line.”
The poll, which was conducted in conjunction with OnMessage INC, provided what could be interpreted as good news for Democrats in the race for state superintendent. While a plurality of respondents, 38 percent, indicated that they were undecided, 33 percent of respondents expressed a preference for Democrat candidate Jill Underly. An additional 30 percent expressed support for Republican Brittany Kinzer.
Former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel is running as the conservative candidate
Conservative activist Scott Pressler, who has registered thousands of Republican voters in swing states over the past five years or so, has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the importance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. He previously expressed frustration over low Republican turnout in another Badger State judicial race that came on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Roe V. Wade.
“I’m afraid history is going to repeat itself. In 2023, conservatives controlled the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Pressler explained before noting that the balance of the court flipped to Democrats a year later. “By July 2024, the liberal Court reinstated drop boxes — just in time for the presidential election. While President Trump ultimately won, Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde lost,” Pressler continued in an X post.
He went on to underscore the importance of the upcoming election before expressing fears that Republicans are not taking the race seriously, given its importance. “Where are the donors? Where are the door knockers? Where are the influencers? Where is the support?” Pressler pleaded. “Unless people step up to take action & do it quickly, the Court will stay under liberal control. If you want drop boxes in Wisconsin, do nothing.If you want election integrity & voter ID in Wisconsin, then do everything in your power to elect Brad Schimel to the Supreme Court on April 1st.”
As of this report, a record $59 million has been spent on the race across both candidates. Elon Musk has made multiple ad buys in support of Schimel, while the Soros network has poured millions into the race in support of Crawford.
