Schimel Reports Raising First $1.5 Million in Race for Wisconsin Supreme Court

Big Money in Wisconsin's Supreme Court Race

We’re getting our first look at what will likely be Wisconsin’s second “most expensive judicial race ever.”

Former Republican Attorney General and current Waukesha County judge Brad Schimel on Wednesday reported raising $1.5 million during the last six months of 2024.

“We raised $2.2 million dollars by the end of last year,” Schimel told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber. “That is five times more than the conservative candidate two years ago. It's more than double any supreme court candidate in history. We are going to be competitive in this race.”

Schimel’s campaign said it ended the year with $1.8 million in the bank.

He will need every penny of it, and a lot more.

Wisconsin’s last supreme court race, in 2023, cost a total of $50 million. It remains the most expensive judicial race of all time. But some think next April’s race could be more expensive.

Liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford has not yet reported her most recent fundraising totals, but her last report showed she had just over $433,000 in the bank.

Schimel said almost all of his money so far is from Wisconsin.

“98% of our money is from Wisconsin donors,” Schimel said. “You can look at my opponent's campaign report from June 30th…if you look at it, half of her donors are from outside the state of Wisconsin.”

Schimel said he’s not looking to California tech executives to fund his campaign.

Wisconsin voters will once again decide the partisan makeup of the state’s supreme court.

The 2023 race saw liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz win. That flipped the court to a liberal majority for the first time in a decade.

The April race could flip it back.

Longtime liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring, and her seat is up for election.

Protasiewicz’s victory has opened the door for Democrats and liberals in Wisconsin to rollback years of laws and court decisions that they haven’t liked.

The Protasiewicz-court has already ruled Wisconsin’s 2022 electoral maps to be unconstitutional. The court is also reviewing two abortion cases, and is likely to hear arguments on the end of Act-10.

Schimel said his opponent, Judge Crawford, has fought to overturn Act-10 as well, and he said she’s made her feelings about voter ID clear.

He said that kind of overt politicking is one reason why conservatives must win the race in the spring.