Elon Musk’s Political Spending in Wisconsin Backfires

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Billionaire Elon Musk has announced he will spend less on political campaigns, marking a significant shift following a costly defeat in Wisconsin‘s Supreme Court race. Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, made this statement on Tuesday, stating that he will focus more on his businesses moving forward.

This announcement comes just seven weeks after the candidate Musk supported lost the election by 10 percentage points. Democrats in Wisconsin believe they successfully branded Musk’s financial contributions as ‘toxic,’ largely influenced by a campaign dubbed ‘People vs. Musk.’

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler hailed the outcome. “The people have won. The biggest funder in Republican politics is taking his toys and going home,” he said. Brandon Scholz, a veteran Republican strategist, echoed this sentiment, labeling Musk as ‘toxic’ in the aftermath of the court race.

Despite the setback, Scholz noted that Musk could still influence future elections if high stakes are involved. “Does he bring with him a lot of baggage? Possibly,” he said. “But over time, maybe not as much.”

Musk’s spending in the recent Wisconsin race made it the most expensive court election in U.S. history, reflecting his significant financial backing. Just months earlier, he had invested over $250 million in support of President Donald Trump‘s campaign in battleground states, including Wisconsin.

Leading up to the election, Musk appeared in Green Bay, wearing a cheesehead hat, and handed out checks for $1 million to supporters. His presence was meant to demonstrate full commitment to the campaign, stating to the crowd, “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.” However, the candidate he endorsed lost, particularly in Brown County, by a margin of 3 percentage points.

Post-election, Musk has remained largely silent about his involvement and has seen a decline in popularity. Recent polling shows only 33% of Wisconsin adults view him favorably, down from 41% a few months prior.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan expressed skepticism about Musk’s intentions to withdraw from political spending. “I don’t believe any of it. This just means they realize how toxic Elon Musk is,” Pocan said. Another Democrat, Kelda Roys, acknowledged the possibility of other wealthy individuals stepping in to fill the gap left by Musk.

Musk spent around $3 million of his own money on the Supreme Court race, while his associated groups spent an additional $19 million supporting the Republican candidate. The total spending by both parties exceeded $100 million.

In addition to his campaign contributions, Musk also paid three individual voters $1 million each to incentivize petition signatures for increased turnout. His efforts included promises of payment for door-to-door canvassers and a $100 reward for each voter who referred others to sign anti-judicial petitions.

Perceiving the election as critical, Musk claimed, “A seemingly small election could determine the fate of Western civilization.” However, Democrats successfully framed the race as a referendum on both his and Trump’s national agendas.

Looking ahead, Musk’s statement about spending less occurred just before a liberal candidate announced her run for the 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court. Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor is set to challenge a conservative justice in the upcoming race.

“My campaign is going to be a campaign about the people of this state, not about billionaires, not about the most powerful,” Taylor stated, aligning with the sentiments expressed during the previous election.