GOP candidates benefit as outside groups break records on political spending

Republican outside groups have spent four times more money to campaign for statewide and legislative candidates in Wisconsin this election season than  groups backing Democrats, according to a new report.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said the outside money has hit a record $36.7 million so far for non-federal offices, including governor, attorney general and the state Legislature.

The Republican independent expenditure groups have sent $29 million in the express advocacy ads, compared with $7.7 million by Democratic groups. More than one-third of the Republican spending was in the GOP primary for governor.

The Wisconsin Democracy report doesn’t include spending on races for Congress or the U.S. Senate. It also doesn’t include another category of spending, so-called issue advocacy messages that promote or denigrate a candidate but do not explicitly tell people who to vote for or against. Issue advocacy campaigns can keep their fundraising and spending secret under current campaign finance laws.

The campaign finance watchdog group has identified more than 40 organizations that are making independent expenditures to support or oppose candidates in Wisconsin’s elections this fall.

“Nine groups have spent more than $1 million on races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state, and the legislature,” the Democracy Campaign said in announcing its report.

According to the report, groups raising and spending money on behalf of Republicans, including Tim Michels, the party’s candidate for governor, include:

• Right Direction Wisconsin PAC, operated by the Republican Governors Association: $8.28 million, on television and digital ads that attack Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on tax and crime issues.
• Americans for Prosperity, created by David and Charles Koch: $5 million on ads, canvassing and mailings for Michels and other Republicans.
• Wisconsin Freedom PAC, operated by the Republican Attorney General Association, $1.49 million, on TV and online ads and mailings opposing Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul and benefitting Eric Toney, his Republican challenger.
• Sunrise in America Political Fund, $1.07 million, first to oppose Kleefisch in the primary and subsequently to attack Evers and support Michels in the general election.

Groups raising and spending money on behalf of Democrats include:

• A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund, $3.15 million raised; Wisconsin Democracy said it identified $1.865 million spent through Sept. 27 on TV and digital ads attacking Michels on gun issues and abortion rights, although the group’s independent expenditures reporting to date was less than that, about $1.28 million.
• Wisconsin Conservation Voters Independent Expenditure Committee, $1.54 million, on online ads to support Evers and oppose Michels, as well as supporting Kaul and some Democrats running for the Legislature.

The report identified three groups, all Republican, that made all or most of their outside expenditures in the primary campaigns. They include:

• Fighting for Wisconsin, a Super PAC, $4.38 million on TV ads supporting Kevin Nicholson, who in early July dropped out of the Republican primary for governor.
• Club for Growth Action, a Super PAC, $3.55 million on TV ads opposing Rebecca Kleefisch. Kleefisch lost the Republican gubernatorial primary Aug. 9 to Michels.
• Freedom Wisconsin PAC, $2.56 million on TV ads supporting Kleefisch and attacking Michaels.

Deputy Editor Erik Gunn reports and writes on work and the economy, health policy and related subjects, for the Wisconsin Examiner.

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