Hijacking Campaign 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023
Posted: May 22, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024
Spring: Oath • Spending
Special: Oath • Spending
SEIU Healthcare, a Madison based affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, is the largest union representing healthcare workers in Wisconsin. This is the first time this union has made independent expenditures in a Wisconsin state election since the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial election. At that time, however, the union operated through a committee registered with the Wisconsin State Ethics Commission. This time it is operating as an unregistered committee which greatly reduces its reporting obligations.
Supreme Court (Spring)
In late May, the group reported it had spent about $2,650 in the April 4 election for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court to support liberal Milwaukee Circuit Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz against former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Daniel Kelly, an appointee of former GOP Gov. Scott Walker. The ideological composition of the high court was at stake as a member of the court's current 4-3 conservative majority was retiring.
Protasiewicz won the election and joined the court in August switching control of the court to liberals.
Service Employees International Union Committee on Political Education was also involved in this election as was SEIU Wisconsin State Council Independent Expenditure Committee.
Special
Concurrent with the high court race was a special election to fill a vacancy in suburban Milwaukee's 8th State Senate District. The seat was left vacant when long-time Republican Sen. Albert Darling retired in December 2022. GOP Rep. Dan Knodl, of Germantown, defeated political newcomer and attorney Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin in the election.
In late May, SEIU Wisconsin Healthcare reported it had spent about $2,650 in this race to support the Democratic candidate.
Last active election: 2018
This organization is an unregistered independent expenditure committee that is required to report any such spending done within 60 days of a primary or an election to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission per Chapter 11, Subchapter X of Wisconsin Statutes.