SOMERS – Thousands of people packed the De Simone Arena on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus on Friday night to listen to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, deride the influence of multimillionaire and billionaire donors in politics.
“The American people want us to end a corrupt campaign finance system,” Sanders said to the energetic crowd. “We are not a democracy when billionaires like (Elon) Musk in both political parties can buy elections.”
This was the first stop of two in the state as Sanders also had a rally scheduled for Altoona High School in the western part of Wisconsin on Saturday. It’s his first time in the state since the 2024 presidential election when he supported Democrat Kamala Harris.
Thousands of people pack De Simone Arena on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus in Somers to listen to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, speak on Friday. Sanders came to rally voters against the Trump administration.
Sanders’ visit to Wisconsin brings an additional spotlight to the state Supreme Court race, which already is a high-profile local race.
Although Sanders did not mention her by name, he did allude to liberal Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford saying she has an “extreme idea that maybe women should be able to control their own bodies.”
Crawford is going against conservative candidate Brad Schimel in the April 1 election that could determine the ideological balance of Wisconsin’s highest court. Abortion and women’s health care has been one of the key issues in the race with Crawford being against the state’s 1849 law against abortion and Schimel saying “there is no constitutional right to an abortion.”
Musk has commented on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race saying on X, “very important to vote Republican for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to prevent voting fraud!”
Sanders called out Musk saying he’s “arrogant” for spending millions of dollars trying to influence the race in Wisconsin.
“I want you to think about what it means, if this guy can intervene in a Supreme Court election in one state, you tell me what mayor’s, what governor’s race, what Senate he cannot buy,” Sanders said. “Nobody I know thinks that billionaires should be able to buy elections.”
The group Progress 2028, which has received millions of dollars from Musk, has posted fake digital ads in support of Crawford.
More: Wisconsin Democrats to counter Elon Musk’s spending in Supreme Court race with seven-figure initiative
Richest citizens are on ‘warpath against the working families of our country’
For as long as there have been elections, money has had a significant impact on the outcomes.
In the 2024 presidential election, Musk devoted millions of dollars to helping Donald Trump win back the presidency, and then stepped in to run the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont-I, speaks to thousands of people packed Friday into De Simone Arena on the UW-Parkside campus in Somers to rally against the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk.
It’s a level of influence that Sanders abhors and he criticized the Trump administration by saying it is “a government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class, and for the billionaire class.”
“For years I have been talking about how America has been moving toward an oligarchy, well we’re no longer moving toward that oligarchy, today we are living in that oligarchy,” Sanders said. “The oligarchs, led by Mr. Musk, are on the warpath against the working families of our country.”
Millions poured into both campaigns
According to campaign records, Building America’s Future and America PAC, supported by Musk, have donated more than $6 million to help Schimel’s campaign.
However when it comes to accepting money from wealthy donors, the Crawford campaign is as willing to receive the financial support as the Schimel campaign.
Liberal millionaire donor George Soros donated $1 million to Crawford and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker donated $500,000.
UW-Parkside sophomore Lucas Hammel, center, holds a sign saying “Thank you President Trump,” at a U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders rally on campus on Friday in Somers.
Lucas Hammel, sophomore at UW-Parkside, was born and raised in Kenosha County. He said he didn’t understand why Sanders would come to Parkside to have an event.
“I find it almost disrespectful,” Hammel said. “He’s not a senator here, he’s not any type of political (figure) here. … Why is he coming to a state that has nothing to do with him?”
Hammel held a sign that read “Thank you President Trump” outside of the arena with about a dozen other Schimel supporters before going inside to watch the event.
On campus, Hammel said it’s difficult for him to have conversations with fellow students about the race.
“I’m honestly here because I hated how they slandered Trump,” Hammel said. “I wish we can go back in time and civilly discuss things instead of swearing at me or getting into an argument where we constantly bicker at each other.”
Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, who represents Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District that includes Kenosha County, said in a statement Sanders was on a “fear mongering tour.”
“In Wisconsin we want secure borders, control of spending, and boys out of girls’ sports,” Steil said. “I will continue working to deliver meaningful results for Wisconsin families who are still struggling from the policies that President Biden and Sen. Sanders pushed over the last four years.”
In a statement, the Schimel campaign said: “If the people of Wisconsin want to know which Supreme Court candidate has their best interests in mind, they need not look further than who is campaigning on their behalf. While Judge Brad Schimel is endorsed by over 80 Wisconsin Sheriffs, Susan Crawford is propped up by dangerous liberals like George Soros, Bernie Sanders, and JB Pritzker.”
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This story was updated to add a gallery.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bernie Sanders energizes thousands at UW-Parkside, Wisconsin rally
