As Democrats celebrate Judge Susan Crawford’s victory on Tuesday, some Milwaukeeans believe the party still has work to do to appeal to voters.

It was a frigid spring day shortly before polls closed in Wisconsin. Chanita Edwards and her daughter, Chamari, left their polling place in Milwaukee’s North Side with two concerns: Elon Musk and reproductive rights.

“I voted because I’m a woman and those rights are very important to me, especially abortion rights, and I’m a student,” said Chamari Edwards, 20. “With Elon, I don’t need them to mess with my tuition and my school stuff, so I voted against them.”

Chanita and Chamari were among the Black voters across the state who participated in Wisconsin’s April election, where a state Supreme Court race between Susan Crawford and Musk-backed candidate Brad Schimel garnered headlines for its potential national implications. For those who spoke to Capital B on Election Day, their vote was intended to be a direct rebuke of President Donald Trump and Musk. Still, it remains to be seen whether this momentum will be carried over into the 2026 midterm elections and beyond.