Schimel, as Wisconsin’s attorney general from 2015 to 2019, defended the state’s strict voter ID law in court and claimed it was a key reason why Trump won Wisconsin in 2016. He also sent Department of Justice staff to monitor the polls in heavily Democratic areas in that election, which Democrats viewed as voter intimidation.

Not satisfied with massively remaking Washington, the tech mogul’s allies look to exert his influence in the states.

Wisconsin voters will decide a crucial state Supreme Court race on April 1, a contest that could shift the ideological balance of the court. The election, the first major battleground test since the 2024 presidential race, has drawn millions in donations from both parties, with abortion rights, union laws, and congressional maps at stake.

As Wisconsin voters weigh the future direction of the state Supreme Court, a group backed by Elon Musk is hitting local airwaves.

But conservatives say wealthy liberals are also making big donations in the contest between Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel.