Hijacking Campaign 2024 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2024
Posted: September 21, 2024
Updated: October 6, 2025
This is a Brookfield-based group that supports Republican candidates in Wisconsin legislative and statewide elections. Between the time it first surfaced in 2010 and 2023, the organization spent over an estimated $3.68 million on issue ads and independent expenditures combined in Wisconsin state elections, placing it among the top special interest group spenders. Former GOP Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, who was disgraced in the caucus scandal, helped create the group.
The organization first reported spending in mid-September with over a quarter of million dollars going towards radio, online and cable television ads in opposition to Democrats running in a handful of assembly races. By the time the election was over, it had spent nearly a total of $2 million for more such ads and mailers opposing Democrats in seven races, one in the state senate, the 14th, and six in the assembly, the 21st, 26th, 51st, 61st, 91st, and 94th.
Three candidates favored by Jobs First won, all incumbents, Reps. Jessie Rodriguez in the 21st, Todd Novak in the 51st and Bob Donovan in the 61st. Despite being an incumbent, Bob Donovan was running in new district because he was displaced by new legislative district maps passed earlier that year. At the time he represented the 84th. Two GOP incumbents supported by Jobs First lost, Rep. Amy Binsfeld in the 26th Assembly and Sen. Joan Ballweg in the 14th Senate. Binsfeld, like Donovan, was running in a new district because of the new district maps; she had originally represented the 27th. In Ballweg's case, the general consensus before the election was that redistricting had made her district slightly more favorable for Democrats.
Jobs First was also the sole funder in 2024 of another independent expenditure committee active in that year's elections, Speak Free Or Die.
Last active election: 2023
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.