MADISON, Wis. — Ad wars in the hotly contested race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court are beginning.
Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel is launching a $1.1 million television ad buy statewide on Tuesday, marking the first spending on TV ads in the closely watched race in the presidential swing state.
Schimel, a Waukesha County judge, faces Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford in the race for an open seat on the state's highest court. The election is April 1.
If Crawford wins, liberals will maintain their 4-3 majority until at least 2028. If Schimel wins, conservatives will win back the majority they lost in 2023.
The race that year shattered national spending records in a judicial contest, with more than $51 million spent on both sides, based on a tally by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The group, which tracks spending on campaigns, is estimating that a new record will be set this year.
The two candidates in this year's race have raised more money so far than at the same point in the 2023 campaign.
Crawford last week reported raising $2.8 million from individual donors since getting into the race, compared with $2.2 million for Schimel.
Spending by outside groups, including the Democratic and Republican parties, is expected to far exceed what the candidates spend.
