Candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court and Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford held a meet-and-greet on Saturday at EVP Coffee in Madison. About 40 supporters gathered in the small coffee shop to discuss the upcoming Supreme Court race and spread canvassing materials — and to celebrate Crawford’s birthday.
Crawford entered the venue at noon and gave a short speech in which she discussed her early career as a prosecutor from Chippewa Falls and a supporter of Planned Parenthood, League of Women Voters and Madison teachers.
“And now, as you know, I’m a judge in Dane County,” Crawford said. “I work hard every day to make sure that I get the facts right in every case … and I never lose sight of the fact that the people in my courtroom are real people.”
Crawford said her conservative opponent and former state Attorney General Brad Schimel has tried to overturn the Affordable Care Act, worked to overturn Roe v. Wade and did not ask his Republican colleagues for funds to move forward with a project to test 6,000 sexual assault kits.
Advisor for President Donald Trump and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has donated millions of dollars in ad campaigns criticizing Crawford, with one ad identifying the wrong Susan Crawford.
“Are we gonna let Elon Musk buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court?” Crawford asked.
Criticism and attention from Musk have put the Wisconsin Supreme Court election and Crawford in the national spotlight, Crawford said.
Crawford said she sees this as an opportunity to highlight the importance of this race and its impact on the state.
“We got to make sure that we protect a fair and impartial Wisconsin Supreme Court and make sure it’s working for the people of Wisconsin and not for Elon,” Crawford said.
Crawford said she appreciates all the volunteers who have supported her by knocking on doors and campaigning for her values.
Crawford said it is important that young people vote in the upcoming Supreme Court race to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms.
“If you care about your right to privacy and you don’t want the government involved in making personal decisions for you, you should be paying attention to this race,” Crawford said.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election will be held April 1.
