- Title: 'You gotta accept the results'- Schimel concedes Wisconsin Supreme Court race
- Date: 2nd April 2025
- Summary: WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES (APRIL 1, 2025) (REUTERS) SIGN FOR BRAD SCHIMEL FOR STATE SUPREME COURT / SCHIMEL HUGGING SUPPORTERS VARIOUS MORE OF SCHIMEL POSING AND EMBRACING SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) WISCONSIN STATE SUPREME COURT REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, BRAD SCHIMEL. SAYING: "I've called Judge Crawford and conceded. No, no, You gotta accept the results." [CROWD M
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- Keywords: Brad Schimel Elon Musk Republican Waukesha Wisconsin watch party
- Location: WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES
- City: WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001346502042025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Republican candidate for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court did not waver when it came to conceding his election against the Democrat opponent, Susan Crawford.
Wisconsin voters elected Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court on Tuesday (April 1), maintaining the court's 4-3 liberal majority in a setback for President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, who had backed her conservative rival.
The election was widely seen as an early referendum on Trump's presidency, and the campaign easily became the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history with more than $90 million spent by the candidates, the state parties and outside groups, according to New York University's Brennan Center.
Crawford, a county judge, defeated conservative Brad Schimel, a former Republican state attorney general and also a county judge, who conceded in a phone call to Crawford and in a speech before his supporters. With 75% of the vote counted, Crawford held a lead of 55% to 45%, a difference of some 178,000 votes.
"You gotta accept the results," announced at a watch party organized by his campaign in Waukesha, even as a spectator chalked up the result to April Fool's Day. "The numbers aren't gonna, aren't going to turn around. They're too bad, and we're not going to pull this off."
With the balance of the court at stake, Musk and political groups tied to him spent more than $21 million to support Schimel. Crawford framed the race a contest between her and the out-of-state billionaire.
(Production by: Dan Fastenberg) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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