What’s next after Wisconsin Supreme Court holds on to liberal majority

Name: Susan Crawford wins WI Supreme Court race
Uploaded: 2025-04-02T21:48:07-05:00
Description: Liberals kept the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court after a record-shattering race. FOX 9's Soyoung Kim has the full story.

Susan Crawford wins WI Supreme Court race

Liberals kept the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court after a record-shattering race. FOX 9's Soyoung Kim has the full story.

WISCONSIN (FOX 9) - The Wisconsin Supreme Court race was called for liberal judge Susan Crawford Tuesday evening. Conservative judge Brad Schmiel conceded.

Since liberals will control the court in the swing state for at least several more years, they could leave their mark on key issues.

A lot at stake

The backstory:

The contest for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the spring election Tuesday was technically a nonpartisan race, but what was at stake was control of the court in a key battleground state.

Two county judges are faced off. The winner, Democratic-backed Susan Crawford had been endorsed by former President Barack Obama and George Soros. Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel had been endorsed by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

How it impacts issues

Why you should care:

The state’s highest court with a liberal majority could impact key issues including congressional redistricting and abortion rights.

Here’s what has been happening with the challenge over Wisconsin’s congressional redistricting. Currently, out of Wisconsin’s eight congressional seats – six are held by Republicans, while Democrats hold two. Critics argue the current congressional district maps do not fairly represent the swing state’s voter makeup. What’s next? Democratic leaders hope with liberal justices in control, this gives them a shot at redrawing Wisconsin’s congressional district boundary lines. If successful, it could potentially put two house seats in play.

Another key issue that dominated the election was abortion rights. Legal status of abortion in the state was unclear after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Abortions have since resumed in the state in some capacity. The Wisconsin supreme court is currently deciding whether to reactivate the 1849 abortion law, which essentially bans almost all abortions in the state. Crawford had previously represented Planned Parenthood. So, what’s next? Democrats are hopeful a liberal victory means abortions will be allowed continue in the state – at least for now.