Wisconsin captured national attention with its April 1 Supreme Court election between candidates Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel, which became the most expensive court race in U.S. history. Crawford’s decisive victory maintained the court’s 4–3 liberal majority and came alongside the vote to cement voter ID requirements in the state Constitution.
Out of 10,334 registered voters in Shorewood, 7,586 residents voted, resulting in a 73.40% turnout. According to village data, 6,683 votes were cast for liberal Susan Crawford, while 886 votes were cast for conservative Brad Schimel. Residents also voted for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and on local positions, including Village Trustee and school board member.
Toya Harrell, Village Clerk, says the election proceeded smoothly in Shorewood.
“People here understood that this was a very important election—[voter turnout] ebbs and flows,” Harrell said. “As [people] were doing their own independent studies on the candidates [for this election], the volume of voters grew.”
Shorewood’s turnout included a number of first-time voters from SHS.
“[The polling place] was very streamlined and efficient,” said Marley Mindt, senior and first- time voter. “Everyone was very kind. It was all very official.”
According to Harrell, preparing for the surge in participation took multiple steps of planning.
“First, I gathered numbers from the presidential election, because I knew this was going to be a pretty big election, so I went to our last biggest election in order to [estimate] the amount of ballots to order,” Harrell said. “[I] also ordered more supplies in terms of “I Voted” stickers, pins, clipboards, even sheet protectors because they used that for signs.”
Around half of Shorewood voters (3,752) did so early. Harrell notes that these figures were lower than those of the presidential election, where nearly 80% of voters submitted absentee ballots. While the election proceeded smoothly overall, a minor issue occurred when the Village Hall phone system automatically shut off at 4:30 p.m. despite polls being open until 8 p.m.
“During that time, we did have somebody that needed curbside voting,” Harrell said. “It worked itself out [as] the voter came out of the car to ask for assistance, but that shouldn’t happen because, with curbside, we’re supposed to come to you. So, moving forward, I would just make sure that the phones are set to stay open until 8 p.m.”
Statewide, Crawford defeated Schimel with about 54% of the vote, maintaining the court’s liberal majority for at least the next three years. The most expensive judicial race in the country’s history, total spending neared $100 million. While Crawford did receive financial backing from prominent Democratic donors, it was outweighed by billionaire and President Trump senior advisor Elon Musk, who poured over $21 million into efforts to support Schimel (Associated Press). Musk also spoke across the state, handing out $1 million checks to two voters at a rally in Green Bay, and frequently endorsed the candidate on social media. Many Crawford supporters saw her victory as a rejection of billionaire influence and a gauge on Trump, closely connected to Musk, in a key swing state three months into his term.
Additional influences on the Supreme Court election included legal issues like abortion and gerrymandering. With hearings related to Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban on the horizon, advocates both for and against abortion have stressed the importance of the court’s political majority in determining whether abortion will remain legal in Wisconsin. Crawford, who previously served as legal counsel for Planned Parenthood, expressed support for abortion rights before the election, while Schimel, who refers to himself as pro-life, believes the issue should be turned over to voters (Associated Press).
Both democrats and republicans raised concerns regarding the potential impact of the Supreme Court election on redistricting. In a statement, Elon Musk claimed the election was a “vote for which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives,” suggesting that new congressional districts approved by a liberal Supreme Court could result in critical changes to broader American political outcomes (The New York Times). Hakeem Jeffries, the top U.S. House Democrat, stated that a liberal majority on the court was the only way to combat gerrymandering in Wisconsin (WPR).
In the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Wisconsinites reelected incumbent Jill Underly over challenger Brittany Kinser with 52.9% of the vote. Underly, who accepted funding from Wisconsin’s Democratic Party, also received backing from several teachers unions. Kinser, who has worked to develop and support charter schools, received support from the state Republican party, alongside several Wisconsin business leaders. In a time of uncertainty in the realm of public education, Underly will be tasked with leading Wisconsin’s public schools through Trump’s presidency.
Also on the ballot was a proposed constitutional amendment to solidify the state’s existing voter ID law, which passed with
60.3% of the vote. While voters are already required to show photo identification at polls, this measure cements the requirement into the state constitution, making it significantly stronger against legal challenge. Crawford and other opponents to the amendment argue that it creates barriers for marginalized groups, particularly low-income individuals and people of color, without meaningfully improving election security. Supporters, meanwhile, say the amendment will help standardize voter ID rules and promote fair elections. Further, its passage means that any attempt to change the voter ID requirement will now require another constitutional amendment.
Harrell says the impact of the amendment on future Shorewood elections is still unclear.
“All I can say is, whatever direction comes to us from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, we’ll adhere to [it],” Harrell said.
Harrell also acknowledged the student-led efforts of the Shorewood American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in voter registration. “I’m always impressed with not only the students who are involved with voter registration, but the students who are actually registering,” Harrell said. “A few of them came to vote early and let me know that they saw me when I came to visit, and that just speaks volumes to the work that [the ACLU does].”
Lucy Kuhnen-Grooms, senior and ACLU co-president, outlined the process of the voter registration event, which resulted in the registration of 16 SHS students.
“We partnered with the League of Women Voters in Wisconsin; we had people from that organization come and help us out,” Kuhnen-Grooms said. “They had the registration materials, and then we also had to get Chromebooks from the office so people could log into their MyVote account. If people were going to be 18 by the election, but were not 18 [at the time of registration], they’d register on paper and that paper would be given to the [village] clerk.”
According to Kuhnen-Grooms, the event, held in the SHS LMC on March 12, created a welcoming environment that encouraged celebration of the voting process.
“Overall, I thought it went really well, because we were well-supplied and we had all the stuff we needed,” Kuhnen-Grooms
said. “We had decorations and I think a lot of people knew about it and were able to come register.”
According to Kuhnen-Grooms, the ACLU club aims to make it easy for students to register by creating an environment less intimidating than that of a typical polling place.
“I think [voting is] one of the things that we still have at least some power over,” Kuhnen-Grooms said. “I think it’s important for people to keep voting because it’s really important to use your voice in many ways.”