Musk vs. Soros: The High-Stakes Battle Heats Up

• On Tuesday, voters will choose a new justice for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• The increasing impact of social media on politics and the Democrats' 'highly ineffective' attempts to engage Generation Z. Tune into Welcome to MAGAland on your preferred podcast platform.

A small race in Wisconsin has pitted two of the world's largest political contributors against each other: Elon Musk and George Soros.

Musk strongly supports Republican initiatives. His super PAC invested approximately $200 million to aid in their election efforts. Donald Trump As President, Soros has invested billions of dollars in supporting Democrats and progressive initiatives, earning him the status of a bogeyman among conservatives who often invoke his name as a rallying cry against opponents. woke ' causes.

Now each billionaire is focusing his financial might on an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court .

Musk’s two organizations — America PAC and Building America’s Future — have collectively contributed $20 million to support the Republican nominee. In contrast, Soros has donated $1 million to the state Democratic Party for their candidate.

Musk announced that he will be campaigning in Wisconsin on Sunday via his X platform. "I'll be giving a speech there on Sunday evening," he stated.

Over $73 million has been expended altogether on the race, as reported by the Brennan Center for Justice. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel anticipates this figure might reach up to $100 million once all costs are accounted for. election It has concluded. This race has turned into the costliest legal contest ever.

Brendan Gallagher, the Director of Insights at Open Secrets, stated, "Everyone seems fully engaged now." He added, "'It's remarkable how much funding has been raised.'"

The contest for the open court seat pits Republican former state Attorney General Brad Schimel against Democrat Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford.

Besides Soros, Crawford also benefits from union funding as well as support from the affluent. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker; and Gloria Page, the retired software engineer and mother of Google co-founder Larry Page.

Schimel has received contributions from ABC Supply owner Diane Hendricks, one of the nation's most successful self-made women; GOP major donor Elizabeth Uihlein; and Joe Ricketts, the founder of Ameritrade and an owner of the Chicago Cubs.

President Trump has shown support for Schimel. Donal Trump Jr. has joined his campaign efforts.

Both sides are leveraging prominent donation contributions to undermine each other.

The president referred to Crawford as 'the carefully chosen spokesperson for the Leftists aiming to dismantle your state and our country, and should she prevail, the effort to rejuvenate our nation will sidestep Wisconsin.'

In the meantime, Crawford is attempting to leverage Musk's contributions to Schimel as a means of attacking him, going so far as to refer to the candidate as Elon Schimel.

She has labeled the competition as 'The People vs. Musk.'

The ideological direction of the court remains uncertain following the liberals' takeover in 2023, securing a 4-3 majority. The victor will serve a 10-year term starting in August.

On Tuesday, voters will determine who wins the seat.

The local state contest is drawing nationwide focus due to several factors, notably because it marks the first election since President Trump took office.

Each side views this as an initial gauge of public sentiment regarding the Trump presidency.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will ultimately decide multiple matters, such as abortion rights within the state.

In 2022, Wisconsin clinics ceased providing abortion services following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, as they were concerned that an 1849 state statute might prohibit such procedures.

Nevertheless, the clinics restarted their operations in 2023 following a ruling from a lower court which stated that the law was not applicable to these facilities. Currently, this case is under consideration by the state Supreme Court.

The justices will also be tasked with redetermining the boundaries of congressional districts in 2023. At present, Republicans control six out of the state's eight House positions.

The court will determine the voting procedures for the 2028 presidential election, where Wisconsin is expected to be a crucial swing state.

Moreover, Musk’s electric vehicle firm Tesla is involved in an ongoing legal case in the state over its ruling prohibiting the establishment of dealerships.

The firm is contesting a state legislation that permits solely independent entities, rather than vehicle makers, to run car dealerships. This regulation aims to stop manufacturers from undermining standalone dealerships.

The matter might eventually reach the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

When Musk initially posted about his plan to campaign in Wisconsin and offered to donate one million dollars to two voters participating in early voting, he later removed the tweet, causing some bewilderment among observers.

'The entrance is restricted to individuals who have already cast their vote in the Supreme Court election,' he penned.

I will personally present two checks, each worth a million dollars, as a token of my gratitude for your participation in voting. This matter holds great significance.

He removed the initial one and penned a fresh message to clarify the issue.

'For clarification of my earlier statement, entry is restricted to individuals who have signed the petition against activist judges,' he stated. 'Additionally, I plan to provide one million-dollar checks to two persons who will serve as spokespersons for this petition.'

Critics of Schimel have alleged that Musk aims to secure a positive verdict for Tesla in the event the dealership case reaches the state Supreme Court.

Tesla sells its cars directly to buyers, which means customers in Wisconsin must travel to a nearby state to buy an electric vehicle.

Company officials have spent ten years trying to reverse this law. Despite two unsuccessful attempts in the state legislature, they managed to include an exception for Tesla dealerships in the 2019-2021 state budget. However, Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, utilized his partial veto authority to remove this clause from the budget.

Schimel has consistently stated that he would handle any case involving Tesla just like any other matter when deciding whether to preside over it or step aside. Additionally, he maintains that the contributions from Musk and his organizations do not create an obligation towards them on his part.

In the meantime, Glavin from Open Secrets cautioned that the substantial financial outlay in this election indicates even bigger expenditures ahead, notably during the 2016 midterm elections.

"This exemplifies the tendency we will observe where large sums of money flow not only at the national level but also trickle down into smaller local races," he stated.

The worrying aspect arises particularly in state or local elections when an influx of funds from major national donors starts pouring in. This raises concerns among citizens and voters regarding external influences and how they might affect the decisions made by their elected representatives," he noted.

'What this boils down to is that when external organizations can amass unrestricted donations, they end up granting significant power to individuals capable of writing hefty check amounts.'

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