Elon Musk becomes DNC’s target in high-stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court showdown

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched its first-ever ad buy Friday targeting Elon Musk and the millions of dollars he has injected into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, previewing what could be a broader strategy for the party going forward.

The DNC ad buys, which are slated to run through Tuesday in seven local newspapers across Wisconsin, take aim at the $19 million Musk and his affiliated PACs have spent on behalf of conservative candidate, Brad Schimel, in a high-stakes state Supreme Court election that will determine whether the court retains its current 4-3 liberal majority.

Musk "has threatened Medicare, gutted Social Security services, and now he thinks he can buy himself a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court," DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement Friday. "That’s why, today, the DNC is out with our first paid media explicitly calling out Musk for his attempts to meddle in Wisconsin’s elections."

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A photo of the DNC's ad, taking aim at Elon Musk ahead of the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race. The ad will run in seven newspapers ahead of the April 1, 2025 election. (Democratic National Committee )

DNC officials told Fox News Digital that the ads will run in seven local newspapers across the state – the Chippewa Herald, the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, the Beloit Daily News, the Daily Jefferson County Union, the Janesville Gazette, the Watertown Daily Times and the Oshkosh Northwestern – and highlight the message, "Wisconsin is not for sale."

"Wisconsinites deserve a Supreme Court justice who looks out for them, not the ultra-wealthy," Martin said. "Now and forever, Wisconsin is not for sale."

The closely-watched state Supreme Court in Wisconsin is already the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, reaching a total of more than $81 million in spending and far eclipsing the $56 million spent on the state Supreme Court race just two years earlier, according to figures compiled by the Brennan Center for Justice. 

Musk's two super PACs spent more than $17 million on Schimel's behalf, while Musk personally donated $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party earlier this year – funds that in turn can be used for Schimel's campaign. 

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Brad Schimel and Susan Crawford are seen before a televised debate on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

President Donald Trump and Musk have thrown their weight behind conservative candidate Schimel, with Trump himself stumping for Schimel during a Thursday evening tele-town hall event and billing the race as one that could have an "outsized impact on the future of the country."

"I know you feel it’s local, but it’s not," Trump said, adding, "The whole country is watching."

Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama and other notable Democrats have thrown their weight behind liberal opponent Susan Crawford, the current Dane County circuit judge whose campaign has attracted more than $25 million in funding ahead of the race. 

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Judge Susan Crawford, candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, greets supporters during a campaign stop at the Racine County Democratic Party headquarters on March 23, 2025 in Racine, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Democrats, for their part, see the race as fertile proving grounds to test their attack against Musk as they look to retain a critical state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin and gear up for the 2026 midterm elections.

The efficacy of the ad campaign in Wisconsin, a that narrowly elected Trump in both the 2016 and 2024 presidential contests, remains to be seen. 

However, it comes as Democrats have struggled to coalesce around a unifying message in the aftermath of the 2024 elections, which could make Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), more attractive targets. 

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Polling numbers in Wisconsin also bear this out. Fifty-three percent of Wisconsin voters said earlier this month that DOGE is disrupting programs required by law, according to a survey from Marquette University Law School, while a slightly lower 47% said the quasi-agency is carrying out Trump’s agenda. 

A larger 59% majority said Trump’s freezing spending and his closing of federal agencies is beyond his governmental authority.