Elon Musk handed out two $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters for supporting conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel.

Democrat-endorsed Susan Crawford was elected Tuesday to Wisconsin's Supreme Court, besting Republican Brad Schimel who was backed by the world's richest man, Elon Musk.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court will keep its narrow liberal majority after Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford edged out victory in one of the most closely-watched state judicial races in years — and the most expensive of all time.

Wisconsin's Supreme Court race breaks national spending records as voters decide crucial issues, including abortion rights and voting maps ahead of 2028.

The Wisconsin vote is nationally significant because it determines “whether the Republican legislature will have the power to gerrymander its legislative and congressional districts for Republican advantage,” said Michael Kang, an election law professor at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law.

The Wisconsin state Supreme Court race has drawn national interest, with the high-stakes election becoming the most expensive contest in judicial history. CBS News' Ed O'Keefe has more.

The race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court shows the need for reforms to protect judicial independence.