Media Spins Wisconsin Supreme Court Loss as Referendum on Elon Musk as GOP Sweeps Florida Races

Despite tens of millions of dollars and endless media attention being poured into a trio of special elections on Tuesday, voters opted for the status quo.

Republicans decisively held onto two U.S. House seats up for grabs in Florida, while liberals retained their majority on the Wisconsin state Supreme Court. Both sides are trying to spin the results, and the corporate press is framing the GOP’s loss in the Badger State as a referendum on Elon Musk.

On Wednesday’s show, Megyn was joined by the hosts of The Fifth Column – Kmele Foster, Michael Moynihan, and Matt Welch – to discuss the special elections and what can actually be learned from them.

Florida Results

There were two special elections held in Florida Tuesday to fill the seats vacated by former Republican congressmen. While the races were in districts that overwhelmingly turned out for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, Democrats were hoping a more modest margin of victory for the GOP would signal discontent with the administration.

With 95 percent of the vote counted, Republican Randy Fine has a 14-point margin of victory over Democrat Josh Weil in the Sixth District. Fine will replace former Rep. Michael Waltz, who was tapped to be Trump’s National Security Adviser.

In Florida’s first district, Republican Jimmy Patronis bested Democrat Amy Valimont by 18 points for the seat once occupied by Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress after being nominated for U.S. attorney general. He ultimately withdrew from consideration.

Both races saw a massive influx of Democrat cash and national attention. Vailmont raised three times more than Patronis ($6.5 million to $2.1 million), while Weil brought in a staggering $9 million compared to less than one million for Fine. The victories give the GOP a bit more of a cushion in the House, with a 220 to 213 seat majority over Dems.

While Foster believes Democrats did some damage in the Sunshine State where he thinks the wins should have been bigger, Megyn wasn’t so sure of the significance. “The Democrats were outspending them almost 10 to one… The Democrats are probably not going to have that kind of dough in every single House race in the next midterm election and the Republicans will be more engaged and start donating,” she speculated. “I also think [Republicans] knew at some level those two seats were not really in danger, and they didn’t really care about slimmer margins. They just wanted to keep seats and they did.”

Wisconsin Results

In Wisconsin, Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford defeated Republican-backed Brad Schimel to cement the liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The race broke records for spending and was the highest-turnout election ever for the state’s highest court.

The race became a national story because of the implications it had for the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. Crawford’s win maintains the left’s 4-3 majority on the court, which means the current GOP-drawn congressional map will likely be thrown out and cost Republicans two seats.

While Trump may have won Wisconsin in November, Megyn said the outcome shows the GOP has work to do to win elections in purple states without him on the ballot. “Republicans in swing states must learn how to win anyway,” she noted. “That is something they haven’t yet proven.”

Leftist billionaires George Soros and Reid Hoffman gave millions to Crawford’s campaign, while Elon Musk and his groups spent more than $21 million on Schimel. The Tesla founder also campaigned in the Badger State over the weekend and was demonized by Democrats who ran ads that made it seem like he himself was on the ballot.

“If you listen to the Wisconsin ads leading up to this election, you would have thought that that woman was running against Elon. Democrats used Elon’s donations and probably visit on Sunday night to turn him into the opponent, to try to say he is buying the election,” Megyn explained. “Republicans have never been as good at the ad warfare and the messaging.”

Late last month, Trump endorsed Schimel and encouraged Republicans to get out the vote with a post on Truth Social, but Megyn believes he didn’t do more than that for a reason. “I think Trump accurately read the tea leaves and said, ‘He is going to lose, and I’m not going to put my name on the line.’ He was fine sending Elon, who has already been taking a beating… for the president,” she said. “Elon probably doesn’t enjoy this but is willing to become the poster boy for ‘evil’ – even though he is saving the world in many departments – because it takes some of the heat off DJT.”

You can check out Megyn’s full interview with The Fifth Column by tuning in to episode 1,040 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.