Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021
Posted: June 1, 2021
Updated: August 7, 2022
This independent disbursement committee is run by Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative group that opposes gay marriage and domestic partnerships. The group has spent over $180,000 since the beginning of 2012 on independent expenditures to support Republican and conservative candidates for legislative and statewide offices. It was involved in two special elections in 2021, the 37th Assembly and the 13th Senate.
37th Assembly
A week before the July 13th election to fill a vacancy in the 37th Assembly District, a vacancy created by the election of Rep. John Jagler to the State Senate (see below), Wisconsin Family Action reported it had spent about $13 on robocalls in the Republican primary to support five of the eight Republicans vying for the seat. The winner of the primary, William Penterman, was one of the candidates the organization supported. Penterman defeated Democrat Pete Adams and Independent Stephen Ratzlaff, Jr in the election. The organization's PAC also reported spending in the race.
13th Senate
In mid-May the organization reported it had spent about $128 for robo-calls to support Republican Rep. Johhn Jagler in the April 6th special election to fill a vacancy in the 13th State Senate district created when the former incumbent, Republican Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2020.
Last active election: 2020
This organization is registered with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission as an independent expenditure committee following the January 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.