The highlight of his weekend visit to the upper Midwestern state reprised a tactic seen during his efforts to help Trump defeat Democrat Kamala Harris in November – handing out money to anyone who signed a petition against so-called “activist judges”.
Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders told voters on X they had “the power to REJECT Musk and the oligarchy buying our elections.”
After Crawford’s win, he said Wisconsin “defeated the wealthiest person on earth”.
In Florida, two seats in the US House of Representatives were up for grabs to fill vacancies in Republican strongholds, left by Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and failed nominee for attorney general, Matt Gaetz.
On Tuesday evening, US media called the race for Florida’s sixth district in favor of Republican Randy Fine, with Trump tweeting: “Congratulations Randy, a great WIN against a massive CASH AVALANCHE.”
Shortly after, media outlets also called the special election in Florida’s first district for Trump-backed Republican Jimmy Patronis.
Democrats, adrift since losing the presidency to Trump and both chambers of Congress in November, had hoped a decent showing in Florida and a win in Wisconsin could spark a comeback.
But in Florida, they were defeated by double-digit percentage margins in both special elections.
Trump took credit for his party’s victory in both deep red districts, posting on social media that “the Trump endorsement, as always, proved far greater than the Democrats forces of evil”.
But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries offered an optimistic view, telling broadcaster MSNBC that the smaller margins in districts won handily by Trump “should have my Republican colleagues quaking in their boots.”
