With no Musk, voters see 'less intense and noisy' Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Wisconsin voters will elect a state Supreme Court justice in 2026 without the high-profile involvement that characterized last year's race. Elon Musk's prominent spending and social media amplification in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election drew national attention and fueled unprecedented campaign intensity; his absence this cycle is expected to produce a markedly quieter contest. The race still carries significant implications for the court's ideological balance on contentious issues like abortion and voting rights, but observers anticipate substantially lower spending and media coverage than the previous election. Wisconsin's Supreme Court races have become increasingly nationalized and expensive in recent years, making the contrast between back-to-back election cycles notable for both voters and political analysts tracking judicial politics.