Elon Musk has been making big moves in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race, pouring millions of dollars into the campaign to elect conservative judge Brad Schimel. The April 1 election is crucial because it will decide who fills the seat of retiring liberal justice Ann Walsh Bradley. Musk’s financial backing and vocal support for Schimel have raised eyebrows, but there’s more to this race than Musk’s public statements about the state’s electoral map.
On the surface, Musk has expressed concerns about the future of Wisconsin’s congressional districts, which are currently drawn in a way that heavily favors Republicans. Musk has claimed that if Schimel doesn’t win, a more progressive court could redraw the maps to favor Democrats, potentially flipping the U.S. House of Representatives. He’s also warned that such a change could shift the balance of power in Washington, which he sees as a threat to the GOP.
However, while Musk has made the race seem like a political battle over district lines, the real reason behind his investment in Schimel’s campaign is far more personal: Tesla, his electric car company, is locked in a legal fight with Wisconsin over its dealership laws. The state currently prevents automakers like Tesla from selling directly to consumers through their own dealerships, and Musk is hoping that a win for Schimel could help him get a friendlier court ruling in favor of Tesla’s business model.
Musk’s involvement in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race isn’t just about politics—it’s about Tesla’s future in the state. He’s made it clear that he believes Schimel, who has been a strong ally of President Donald Trump, would be more likely to rule in Tesla’s favor. Just days before Musk ramped up his donations to Schimel’s campaign, Tesla filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin over the dealership law.
Schimel has long been a conservative figure in Wisconsin, and his close ties to Trump have made him a strong candidate for those seeking to push the state’s legal system further to the right. Musk’s donations to Schimel are a strategic move, aimed at ensuring a judge sympathetic to Tesla’s interests would have a say in the future of Wisconsin’s dealership laws.
So, while Musk has framed his efforts as part of a larger battle over Wisconsin’s political landscape, the true motivation lies in Tesla’s business challenges. By flipping the state’s Supreme Court in favor of a more conservative majority, Musk is hoping to gain an advantage in the ongoing fight over how electric vehicles are sold in Wisconsin—giving Tesla a better shot at direct sales in the state.
