WASHINGTON, March 31 — An election to choose a new supreme court judge in the northern US state of Wisconsin wouldn’t usually make much noise.But when the world’s richest man took an interest in the race, people began to notice, and protests on Sunday drew crowds.Tech baron and political provocateur Elon Musk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has poured money into the Tuesday election, hoping to secure a conservative win.
The liberal candidate, 60-year-old Susan Crawford, was campaigning the old-fashioned way, addressing a crowd at an antiques shop meeting on a rainy Sunday morning.“So Elon Musk, folks, that guy, right? He has now spent more than $25 million, it goes up every day,” Crawford told the crowd.“He’s working as the unelected right-hand man to the president.
He’s got an agenda.”If Crawford’s Republican-backed opponent, Brad Schimel, beats her, he will tip the balance on the Wisconsin court to the right.Once every four years Wisconsin—home to six million people and mainly known for beer and cheese production—becomes a vital swing state in a presidential election.
Straight-armed salute And if the conduct or result of that poll are challenged, it is the Wisconsin Supreme Court that will have to rule on that. Musk’s support for Schimel could, therefore, be a political game-changer.But at small-town rallies, the South African-born oligarch’s eruption into Wisconsin’s affairs seems to have provoked as much resistance as support.
Rob Patt.
