On April 1, 2025, Republicans won two U.S. House seats in Florida’s special elections. Jimmy Patronis took the 1st Congressional District with 57% against Democrat Gay Valimont, a closer race than Matt Gaetz’s 66% in 2024. Randy Fine won the 6th District 54%-46% over Josh Weil, narrower than Mike Waltz’s 33-point 2024 victory. These wins maintain the GOP’s slim House majority at 220-215, though the tighter margins suggest Democratic strength in these red districts.
In Wisconsin, liberal Judge Susan Crawford’s victory over conservative Brad Schimel in the April 1, 2025, state Supreme Court election preserved the court’s 4-3 liberal majority. This race, the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, saw over $81 million spent, eclipsing the $51 million record from 2023.
Liberals, backed by George Soros, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and groups like A Better Wisconsin Together ($6 million+), faced off against conservatives, where Elon Musk’s colossal effort stood out. Musk invested at least $20 million through his America PAC and Building America’s Future, plus $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party, outpacing donors like Diane Hendricks and Richard Uihlein. His campaign peaked with a March 30 Green Bay rally, where he distributed two $1 million checks to petition signers opposing “activist judges,” after the state Supreme Court declined to block the payments despite a lawsuit from Democratic AG Josh Kaul alleging vote-buying. Musk tied the race to Tesla’s lawsuit against Wisconsin’s dealership laws and warned of Democratic gerrymandering costing GOP House seats.
The liberal majority could now redraw Wisconsin’s congressional maps, currently favoring Republicans 6-2 in the state’s eight U.S. House seats, potentially adding Democratic districts for 2026, though legal challenges loom. On the same day, Wisconsin voters approved a voter ID constitutional amendment with 63.3% support, a measure Musk and conservatives championed, locking in stricter voting rules.
Scott Presler, a prominent Republican activist, played a key role in mobilizing GOP turnout. Known for his grassroots work flipping Pennsylvania for Trump in 2024, Presler campaigned heavily in Wisconsin, warning that a Crawford win could cost Republicans the U.S. House by enabling Democratic redistricting. Posts on X show him in Green Bay on March 22, rallying packed crowds, and he urged early voting to counter Democrats’ fundraising edge. After the election, Presler posted on X about enshrining voter ID nationwide, calling it a “winning issue,” and pledged to hire staff in Wisconsin to defeat Governor Tony Evers in 2026 if conservatives prevailed—though Crawford’s win shifted focus. Critics on X have accused Presler of grift or voter fraud tied to his 2024 efforts, but his Wisconsin push was praised by supporters for energizing the base, even if it fell short.
The colossal money battle and high-profile efforts from Musk and Presler underscore Wisconsin’s pivotal role, with the Supreme Court outcome and voter ID amendment shaping its electoral future.