Democratic candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court election, maintaining liberal majority

Democratic Judge Susan Crawford beat her Republican opponent, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, in the US state's hotly-contested Supreme Court election Tuesday night, according to media reports.

Crawford was declared the winner in a close race with 54% of the vote versus 46% for Schimel. She will replace retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who served 30 years in that position, maintaining a 4-3 liberal majority in Wisconsin's highest court.

The victory, which garnered national attention and record-breaking campaign spending for a state judicial race, was crucial for Democrats in their mission to rule on significant issues, including abortion rights and voting access and procedures as well as re-working Congressional legislative maps.

In total, both campaigns and outside political groups spent more than $50 million combined, shattering spending in previous state judicial races across the US.

Crawford will begin her 10-year term on the Supreme Court in August.

This is a significant blow to Republicans, considering that President Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin during the 2024 presidential election. Trump won by a narrow margin with 49.6% of the vote to Harris's 48.7%.