Elon Musk pays $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters in high profile judicial race

Elon Musk offers million-dollar checks to Wisconsin voters to support conservative candidate in state Supreme Court election.

Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday (March 30, 2025) handed out million-dollar checks to two voters in Wisconsin and promised smaller payments to others who help elect a conservative candidate to the state's top court in a closely watched election.

The Tesla CEO, a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, handed out oversized checks at a rally in Green Bay as he sought to drum up enthusiasm for a state Supreme Court election that is already the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.

Mr. Musk said he would also pay supporters $20 for every voter they recruit over the next two days.

He said he was spending the money to raise awareness of a race in which liberal Susan Crawford seems to be running ahead of conservative Brad Schimel.

"We actually are in serious danger of losing the election," he said. "We've got to pull a rabbit out of a hat."

The April 1 contest will determine the ideological tilt of the state's top court as it considers abortion rights, labour rights and possibly election rules. Technically nonpartisan, the race is seen as an early referendum on Mr. Trump in a politically competitive state.

Mr. Musk warned the court might redraw legislative districts in a way that could cause Mr. Trump's Republicans to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.