Voters headed to the polls in Wisconsin and Florida on Tuesday to decide several key contests viewed as political barometers for the country five months after Republicans’ sweeping victories in November 2024.
By far, the most high-profile contest was the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, where Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel was facing off against Democrat-backed candidate Susan Crawford. With votes still being counted, Crawford is the projected winner, leading by about nine points.
As AMAC Newsline reported last week, the race was the most expensive judicial campaign in American history, with more than $100 million in expenditures. While the late involvement of Elon Musk drew most of the media attention, ultra-wealthy liberal donors flooded Crawford’s campaign with cash.
The court will now have a solid liberal majority for at least three years, likely leading to more far-left rulings on issues like abortion and electoral laws. Wisconsin Democrats have strongly suggested that they plan to challenge the state’s congressional map, potentially allowing the liberal supreme court to redraw district lines to be more favorable to Democrats. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, Crawford’s campaign called the election a “chance to put two more House seats in play for 2026” in a January donor call.
As discouraging as that result was for conservatives, Wisconsin voters did overwhelmingly pass Question 1, which amends the state constitution to require a photo ID to vote. About 63 percent of voters supported the amendment.
“VOTER I.D. JUST APPROVED IN WISCONSIN ELECTION,” President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. “Democrats fought hard against this, presumably so they can CHEAT. This is a BIG WIN FOR REPUBLICANS, MAYBE THE BIGGEST WIN OF THE NIGHT. IT SHOULD ALLOW US TO WIN WISCONSIN, LIKE I JUST DID IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, FOR MANY YEARS TO COME!”
“This was the most important thing,” Elon Musk added on X in response to the victory.
In Florida, Republicans also won two special congressional elections, although the results were closer than might have been expected.
In Florida’s 1st Congressional District, Republican Jimmy Patronis won the seat previously held by Matt Gaetz, overcoming Democrat Gay Valimont. Patronis secured a decisive victory despite Valimont raising $6.5 million for her campaign compared to Patronis’s $2.1 million.
The more worrisome result came in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, where Republican Randy Fine retained the seat formerly held by Trump National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, defeating Democrat Josh Weil. While Fine won by about 14 points, that was well off the pace of Trump’s 30-point victory in the district last November. Weil also significantly outraised Fine, bringing in $9.7 million compared to Fine’s $561,000.
Democrats have sought to spin the result as an indictment on President Trump, but other Republican leaders have contested that narrative. Ahead of the election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he did not expect Fine to come close to matching Trump’s margin.
“Do I think they will get close to the margins that President Trump received? No,” DeSantis said. “Is that a reflection of the President? Absolutely not, that is a reflection of the candidate running in that race.” Fine has notably clashed with DeSantis in the past.
“Today, voters reminded the world that Florida is Trump Country. I won because of @realDonaldTrump’s endorsement and his call for voters to send me to be a warrior for his America First agenda,” Fine said on X after his victory. “In my visits to the polls today, I spoke to voters who waited for more than an hour because they wanted the country to know they still stand with President Trump.”
“BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON, BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE,” Trump added on Truth Social. “THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS’ FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA!!!”
The next key electoral date this year is November 4, when voters in New Jersey and Virginia will head to the polls for gubernatorial and legislative elections.
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
Mixed bag for sure.
Needed to win the two House seats in Florida and we did. Also won Voter I.D. constitutional amendment in Wisconsin while losing some constitutional amendments in Louisiana.
However, after a Trump win in Wisconsin only five months ago, couldn’t energize the Wisconsin Trump voters to come out again and vote in their Supreme Court race.
Opportunity lost.
What amazes me and continues to amaze me is how much money a democrat candidate raises above a republican candidate especially when all you hear from the MSM is how the republicans have the billionaires in their pocket. If that was the case one would think the republican candidates would be out raising and outspending the democrat candidate.
It is very disappointing that folks in Wisconsin are still in the dark as to the results of Democrat’s governance. Are they not suffering? Do they welcome illegals to play havoc to their people? Do they love wars? Do they want inflation to go on forever? Do they want their tax dollars spent on illegals and foreign lands? Evidently they do, evidenced by the way they vote.. So sad for America.
BUT we win Voter ID Hooray & FL seats
Like California, Wisconsin is a lost cause. Owned by the ancient Oligarch known as the “Soros”.
The dems will never learn. You can’t buy an election. Didn’t they learn nothing from 2020’s election,fraud works. 2 Billion dollars in 2024 couldn’t even buy Kamala a bottle of whiskey let alone an election. Fine was outspend by 9 million dollars and he still won. The loss in Wisconsin is a problem for the state of Wisconsin to fight over if Crawford starts gerrymandering in that state. I think publicity will tie her hands and she won’t get that done. And that election cost 100 million dollars. Too crazy to wrap your mind around. At least we got voter ID law passed in Wisconsin. And stringent campaign finance laws have to be tackled next. I think we the people know what is best for the country, the billionaire oligarchs have to be silenced. Of course there is always black money infused in any election. But these amounts that are generated in todays environment for elections is nuts.
I have read Rules For Radicals and understood that it is the playbook the Democrats are following since BO. I left that party many years ago after JFK was murdered and then his brother Robert also murdered. From then on, I sensed the Democrat Party has changed & was up to something I did not like. My suspicion was right, evidenced by what has been going on with that party now. May God bless them with wisdom, patriotism & loyalty to our country. Amen.
The conservatives in Wisconsin were asleep at the wheel. Soros backed Susan Crawford will legislate from the bench.If the radical Liberals succeed in reversing Act10 property taxes will double.The Wisconsin Supreme Court has no business in drawing the district maps either, but as usual the cheating Liberals have already done it once. Now they want to change it again in their favor. Drawing district maps is a Legislative function of the party in control, not the Courts.We definitely have a large swamp in Madison Wisconsin.
Thank goodness the Republicans are winning most races. It is not easy for old time Democrats to admit that their party is not the party of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, but the corrupt party of 2020. Plus all the crazy stuff they stand for is so far out of line with real Americans. It is sad to see what they have become. The $50,000 question is WHY.
what I see is overwhelming for the Right, with the exception of many people that think they need the freedom to kill their babies. It is a sad state when ‘that’ power overrides all.
Wisconsin is Still a Cesspool of DemonRats that have Nothing But Pure Demonic and Evil Forces Within Their Souls! Especially in the Cesspool of Milwaukee and The College Town of Madison!
It is funny to hear Crawford say how Wisconsin is not for sale with all that $oro$ money in her campaign and probably her bank account.
What’s the difference between the democratic party and George Washington, one of them never lied.
But it works.
In a lesser known election Democrat Thomas McNamara won the election in Rockford Illinois for mayor over opponent Derrick Kunz who ran as an independent candidate.