Pritzker helps Democrats win Wisconsin Supreme Court race

[RandySF]

Wisconsin Democrats are rejoicing over winning a state Supreme Court seat, and they can thank their rival state's governor for the assist.

The big picture: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker sank $1.5 million into Democrat Susan Crawford's campaign and the Democratic Party of Illinois sent hundreds of volunteers across the border to canvass door to door through grassroots coalition Operation Swing State.

Zoom out: This election wasn't just about the Wisconsin state judiciary. It was seen as a proxy vote on the recent actions of the Trump administration.....

Although Crawford's campaign outspent Schimel's, Republicans overall spent more on the race than Democrats.




https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/04/02/pritzker-illinois-democrats-wisconsin-supreme-court-elon-musk-trump

[Bluethroughu]

1. I don't want to lose Pritzker, but he will make an amazing President.

[MichMan]

2. NPR "Pritzker signs law banning dark money, out-of-state contributions in judicial campaigns"

NPR

Campaign contributions from out-of-staters and so-called dark money groups will be banned in Illinois judicial campaigns beginning in January under legislation Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law Monday.

The measure’s sponsor, State Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), said the ban is something that’s been in the works for a while, especially as leaders in the legal community and scholars become progressively worried about undue influence in judicial elections, especially appellate and supreme court justices whose terms last a decade.

The law also bans out-of-state contributions to judicial candidates and clarifies already-illegal campaign contributions in Illinois, including money from anonymous sources.

But making Illinois the first state to outright ban certain political contributions to judicial candidates is the biggest change contained in the law, which comes a year after an Illinois Supreme Court justice first elected as a Democrat became the first sitting high court member in state history to lose his retention bid — an expensive race fueled in part by dark money.

https://www.nprillinois.org/statehouse/2021-11-15/pritzker-signs-law-banning-dark-money-out-of-state-contributions-in-judicial-campaigns