Billionaire Elon Musk has handed out million-dollar cheques to two voters in Wisconsin and promised smaller payments to others who help elect a conservative candidate to the state’s top court in a closely watched election.The Tesla chief executive a top adviser to US President Donald Trump, handed out oversized checks at a rally in Green Bay as he sought to drum up enthusiasm for a state Supreme Court election that is already the most expensive judicial race in US history.Musk said he would also pay supporters $20 for every voter they recruit over the next two days.He said he was spending the money to raise awareness of a race in which liberal Susan Crawford seems to be running ahead of conservative Brad Schimel.“What’s happening on Tuesday is a vote for which party controls the US House of Representatives,” Musk declared, arguing that the federal congress was so evenly balanced that Wisconsin’s seats could decide its majority.“And whichever party controls the House… to a significant degree, controls the country, which then steers the course of Western civilisation,” said Musk, who arrived wearing the “cheese head” wedge hat favoured by local football fans. “So it’s like, I feel like this is one of those things that may not seem that it’s going to affect the entire destiny of humanity, but I think it will.”“We actually are in serious danger of losing the election,” he said. “We’ve got to pull a rabbit out of a hat.”The April 1 contest will determine the ideological tilt of the state’s top court as it considers abortion rights, labour rights and possibly election rules.Technically nonpartisan, the race is seen as an early referendum on Trump in a politically competitive state.Musk warned that the court might redraw legislative districts in a way that could cause Trump’s Republicans to lose seats in the US House of Representatives.“I think this will be important for the future of civilisation. It’s that significant,” Musk said.As of last week, groups affiliated with Musk had spent at least $17.5mn to support Schimel, according to New York University’s Brennan Centre for Justice – more than one-fifth of the $81mn spent in total on the race.Musk’s $1mn giveaway echoed his tactics from the 2024 presidential election, when he gave cheques to voters who signed petitions supporting conservative causes.Wisconsin’s attorney-general, Democrat Josh Kaul, sued to block the giveaway but the state Supreme Court ruled it could go ahead, according to the Washington Post.Musk spent more than $250mn to help elect Trump last year, far more than any other individual, and his appearance in Wisconsin showed his willingness to get involved in downballot races as well.Trump has deputised Musk to oversee an effort to slash the federal government that has effectively shuttered several agencies and fired tens of thousands of workers.The liberal candidate, 60-year-old Crawford, was campaigning on Sunday the old-fashioned way, addressing a crowd at an antiques shop meeting on a rainy morning.“So Elon Musk, folks, that guy, right? He has now spent more than $25mn, it goes up every day,” Crawford told the crowd. “He’s working as the unelected right-hand man to the president. He’s got an agenda.”
