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

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."

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. 

"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. 

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. 

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