The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election shattered national spending records (also set by Wisconsin), becoming the first high court election to top $100 million. The election drew national attention as Elon Musk staked $30 million on the outcome. With scrolling graphics and in-depth storytelling, Wisconsin Watch data reporter Hongyu Liu and freelance reporter Larry Sandler helped explain how “obscene” the $144 million price tag was compared with past elections, how the outsized spending happened and what can be done to prevent runaway spending in the future.
Wisconsin Watch employed multiple storytelling methods to explain this complex topic based on several months of investigative reporting. The written report included a three-part 11,000-word series, but also a 2,600-word condensed version. Sandler shared his findings on camera with video reporter Trisha Young, who produced a 6-minute explanatory video. He also discussed his report with radio news outlets around the state.
Liu’s scrollytelling graphics provided an engaging entrypoint for the reader, helping illustrate just how out of whack the spending was compared with past elections. Freelance illustrator Elena Delzer provided additional visual elements to break up the flow of the text.
