Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: September 22, 2020
Updated: January 12, 2023

Fall: Oath • Spending

(Note: In November 2022, Jobs First filed amended reports for the 2020 election showing that it had spent nearly an additional $330,000 in that if failed to report during the election. The latest update to this profile reflects these newest figures.)

This is a Brookfield-based group that supports Republican candidates in Wisconsin legislative and statewide elections.

Since it first surfaced in 2010, the organization has spent an estimated $1.8 million on issue ads and independent expenditures. Former GOP Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, who was disgraced in the caucus scandal, helped create and raise money for the group.

The organization first reported spending in mid-September when it dropped nearly $150,000 on radio ads to support GOP candidates in the 13th, 14th, 21st, and 51st Assembly districts.

By the end of the election Jobs First spent a reported total of roughly $674,000 for mailers, radio and television ads across nine legislative districts, two Senate - 10th and 30th - and seven Assembly - 13th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 51st, 55th and 88th.

Jobs First spent more than $100,000 in five races:

• Over $213,000 to support Republican Eric Wimberger in the 30th Senate against Democrat Jonathon Hansen, nephew of the retiring incumbent, Democrat Dave Hansen. Wimberger had run for the seat once before in 2016.
• Nearly $194,000 supporting Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Hutton against the successful Democratic challenger Sara Rodriguez in the 13th Assembly.
• Nearly $161,000 to support incumbent Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez in the 21st Assembly.
• Over $154,000 to support the Republican challenger to Democratic incumbent Rep. Robyn Vining in the 14th Assembly.
• Over $138,000 in the 10th Senate to back Republican challenger Rep. Rob Stafsholt against freshman Democrat Sen. Patty Schachtner. Schachtner had won the previously Republican seat in a January 2018 special election.

Last active election:  2018

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: September 22, 2020
Updated: June 22, 2021

Fall: Oath • Spending

This is a corporation sponsored by the Republican State Leadership Committee, a Virginia-based group that supports Republican legislative candidates in Wisconsin and across the country. From 2010 to 2018, the organization had spent an estimated $5.9 million on  independent expenditures and phony issue ads in Wisconsin legislative and statewide elections. This is the first time since 2014 that it has reported using independent spending rather than issue ads in Wisconsin elections.

In mid-September, the group first reported spending $120,000 on mail, radio, online ads, and text messages to support Eric Wimberger, the GOP candidate in the open 30th Senate District seat in the Green Bay area. Five days before the November 3 election the committee reported spending an additional $60,000 for television advertisements in the race.

Wimberger, who had unsuccessfully challenged for the seat in 2016, defeated Jonathon Hansen, the retiring incumbent's nephew, for the seat the Democrats had held since 2000.

Last active election: 2014

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: September 22, 2020
Updated: June 25, 2021

Fall: Oath • Spending

This committee is used by the American Federation for Children to make independent expenditures in Wisconsin legislative and statewide elections. The federation is a Washington D.C.-based group that supports school voucher programs in Wisconsin and around the country.

The organization started sponsoring outside electioneering activities during Wisconsin's 2010 general elections. Between 2010 and 2018 the federation doled out an estimated $7.4 million on independent expenditures and phony issue ads combined, mostly to support Republicans.

In mid-September the committee reported initial spending of more than $100,000 for digital advertising and mailing services to support GOP candidates in one State Senate and four State Assembly races.

By the time of the election the group reported spending a total of nearly $600,000 for mailers, radio and online advertising to support Repbulcians in two State Senate - the 10th and 30th - and seven State Assembly races - the 13th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 51st, 55th and 88th.

Over half of that spending  was in just three districts:

• Over $126,000 in the 21st Assembly to support incumbent GOP Rep. Jessie Rodriguez of Oak Creek.

• Over $123,000 to back Republican incumbent Rob Hutton in the 13th Assembly against Democratic challenger Sara Rodriguez.

• Nearly $94,000 in the 10th Senate supporting two-term GOP Rep. Rob Stafsholt's challenge to freshman Democrat Sen. Patty Schachtner.

Last active election: 2018

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: October 18, 2020
Updated: June 24, 2021

Fall: Oath • Spending

This committee was newly created in 2016 by the Working Families Party which describes itself as a coalition of labor and community groups that seeks to elect candidates it considers progressive to local and state offices in various states.

A little over two weeks before the November 3rd election, the group first reported independent spending that it had started in early September. It spent nearly $14,000 for phone banks to support Democratic candidates in 11 State Assembly districts.

By the end of the election it had spent nearly $24,000 for phone banks, staff and online advertising in 15 Assembly races - the 4th, 13th, 14th, 24th, 28th, 30th, 37th, 38th, 48th, 57th, 63rd, 74th, 76th, 88th and 91st.

Last active election: 2016

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: January 22, 2021
Updated: June 22, 2021

Fall: Oath • Spending

Progress North is a new liberal organization based in the Wisconsin northwoods sponsored by TakeAction Minnesota.

The organization did not report any spending during the fall election but two months after the November 3 election reported spending about $10,000 to support the Democratic candidates in the 73rd and 74th State Assembly districts.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: January 13, 2020
Updated: February 10, 2021

Listed below are groups that seek to influence the 2020 state Supreme Court election by conducting “issue ads.”

If you see any independent expenditures or issue ads we haven't covered, please notify us on ads.

Groups involved in the fall legislative elections are listed on the left side and those in the spring Supreme Court election on the right. Click on the group’s name for a description of the group and examples of its activities

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: January 13, 2020
Updated: April 19, 2021

Candidates in the 2020 fall legislative and spring Wisconsin State Supreme Court elections.

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: January 13, 2020
Updated: January 12, 2023

PACs and other committees making independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates in the 2020 fall legislative and spring state Supreme Court elections.

If you see any independent expenditures or issue ads we haven't covered, please notify us on ads.

Committees active in the fall legislative elections are listed in the left-hand column and those in the spring are listed on the right. Click on a committee's name for more information.

A pdf ranking expenditure committees by spending is available.

Posted: January 13, 2020
Updated: January 12, 2023

A guide to independent expenditures and issue ads in the 2020 fall legislative and spring Wisconsin Supreme Court elections. Groups active in the upcoming fall legislative elections will be added once they become active.

Hijacking Campaign 2020 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2020

Posted: January 15, 2020
Updated: June 25, 2021

Fall: Oath • Spending
Spring: Oath • Spending

This is a group created in 2003 by David and Charles Koch, the billionaire owners of Koch Industries and Wisconsin-based papermaker Georgia-Pacific.

In 2020 American Majority Action made independent expenditures in both the fall legislative and the spring Wisconsin Supreme Court elections.

Fall Election

The day before the August 11th primary elections the group first reported that it had started independent spending at the beginning of July in three Republican primaries. It reported spending $97,000 for mailers, door hangers, digital ads and canvassing to support Rep. Rob Stafsholt in the 10th Senate District in northwestern Wisconsin, Bonnie Lee in the 14th Assembly District in the Milwaukee area and Rachel Cabral-Guevara in the 55th Assembly District in the Fox Valley. All three would win their primaries.

The last week in August the group reported spending about another $31,000 on payroll and canvassing in the three districts mentioned above plus new spending in the 32nd Senate District where it supported Republican Dan Kapanke for the open seat. Kapanke had previously held the seat which he lost in a 2011 recall election to the retiring incumbent Democrat Jennifer Shilling.

By the time of the election Americans for Prosperity had reported spending a total of nearly $750,000 for online advertising, mailers and canvassing to support Republicans in fifteen legislative races. Aside from the aforementioned races, the organization also made independent expenditures in the 8th, 12th and 24th Senate and the 2nd, 13th, 23rd, 24th, 29th, 30th, 42nd and 68th Assembly districts.

Four Senate races accounted for more than half of all reported spending by Americans for Prosperity:

• Nearly $171,000 in the 10th Senate suppporting two-term Rep. Rob Stafsholt against Democratic freshman Sen. Patty Schachtner. Schachtner had won the previously Republican seat in a January 2018 special election.

• Over $144,000 to back Dan Kapanke against Democrat Brad Pfaff in the open 32nd Senate seat.

• Close to $92,000 to support Republican freshman Sen. Patrick Testin, of Stevens Point, in the 24th Senate.

• Over $72,000 backing Republican Rep. Mary Czaja-Felzkowski in the open 12th Senate in northeastern Wisconsin.

Spring Election

In early December 2017 it reported first spending over $13,000 on canvassing and printing expenses to support incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly in the 2020 spring election.

Kelly was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2016 by Republican Governor Scott Walker and this was his first election. Kelly's challengers in the February primary were Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jill Karofsky and Marquette University law professor and erstwhile Supreme Court candidate Ed Fallone. Fallone was eliminated in the February primary and Karofsky defeated Kelly in the April 7 election.

About two weeks before the April 7 election Americans for Prosperity sent out two mailers- here and here - urging recipients to vote for Kelly. It reported spending about $162,000 for the mailers and about $86,000 on digital ads during the same time period. The remainder of the reported spending was for general labor costs.

A week before the election the group reported spending another $45,000 for a third mailer.

About five days before the election the committee reported spending nearly another $45,000 on yet a fourth mailer.

The day before the election Americans for Prosperity reported it had spent more than $88,000 for a fifth mailer.

Last active election: 2019

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.