Two major elections and Karen Read murder case retrial: Morning Rundown
Today’s elections in Wisconsin and Florida will serve as a referendum on Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Today’s elections in Wisconsin and Florida will serve as a referendum on Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Jury selection begins in the retrial of a Massachusetts murder case. And why some Danes are boycotting American goods.
Here’s what to know today.
Voters in Wisconsin and Florida will head to the polls today to vote in elections that could serve a referendum on the Trump administration — and Elon Musk — two months into the president's second White House term.
→ In Wisconsin, the race for a state Supreme Court seat is the first major contest in a battleground since the 2024 election, no less in the state where Trump had his narrowest margin of victory. The race is between liberal candidate Susan Crawford, who has received the backing of the state and national Democratic Party organizations, as well as the financial support of a cadre of liberal billionaires; and Brad Schimel, who has the backing of Trump and Musk. The technically nonpartisan court’s 4-3 liberal majority hangs in the balance.
Musk has taken center stage in this race, with the DOGE leader’s super PAC spending at least $15 million to boost Schimel, according to records, and Musk campaigning for Schimel in Wisconsin last weekend. Democrats and groups supporting Crawford have leaned heavily into attacking Musk in ads, on the trail and on social media and have accused him of “trying to buy” Schimel. Whether Democratic voters will turn out for an off-year race will also be a test of their strength, NBC News and MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki writes in an analysis.
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