Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: January 22, 2021
Updated: July 29, 2021

Independent expenditures in the 2021 spring Superintendent of Public Instruction election and the special elections in the 13th State Senate and the 37th and 89th State Assembly elections.

If there is a link, click on a candidate's name to see any independent expenditures reported as explicitly for or against that candidate. If no such spending has been reported, there will be no link.

Click on the office link to see all independent expenditures spent on that office if any.

Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: January 22, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

If there had been any groups running “issue ads” in the State Superintendent of Public Instruction or the special elections held in 2021, they would have been listed here.

Any organizations involved in the non-partisan state superintendent election would have been listed on the left, those involved in the special elections on the right. Any organization involved in both set of elections would appear in both columns.

Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: January 22, 2021
Updated: August 30, 2021

Note: Most recent update makes modest revisions to descriptions and adds links to candidate campaign finance profiles.

PACs and other committees making independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates in the 2021 election for State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the 13th State Senate and 89th State Assembly special elections.

If you see independent expenditures by an organization not covered here please notify us.

Organizations involved in the non-partisan state superintendent election are listed on the left, those involved in the special elections on the right. Any organization involved in both set of elections is listed in both columns.

Click on a committee's name for more information.

Posted: January 22, 2021
Updated: August 30, 2021

A guide to independent expenditures and issue ads in the the 2021 election for State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the 13th State Senate and 89th State Assembly special elections. Recent updates. 

For information about candidate financial activity see Campaign 2021.

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

Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: January 22, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Special: Oath • Spending

This committee was created to make independent expenditures in legislative and statewide elections by the Wisconsin Realtors Association, the state lobbying group that pushes state spending, tax, and other policies that benefit realtors.

Since the committee was created in 2012, it has spent over $1 million on electioneering activities to support Republican candidates and the 2013 reelection of conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack.

In mid-January it reported spending $150,000 on direct mail and radio and digital advertising costs to support Republican Michael Kunesh in the 89th State Assembly district in northeastern Wisconsin. Kunesh was one of five Republicans vying for the seat left vacant when the incumbent, Republican John Nygren, resigned barely a month after begin reelected. Kunesh lost the primary to Elijah Behnke, the eventual winner of the election in April.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: February 8, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Spring: Oath • Spending

This is an outside electioneering group first created in 2020 to back Democratic and liberal candidates. The Monona-based group is associated with One Wisconsin Now, a liberal advocacy group. It spent over $3.9 million in the 2020 Wisconsin State Supreme Court and fall legislative elections.

Eleven days before the February 16th primary, the group first reported spending over $78,000 on digital ads to support Pecatonica school administrator Jill Underly for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction. Underly was one of seven candidates in the primary for the officially nonpartisan office. The office's incumbent, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, appointed to fill the position in January 2019 by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, did not seek election. Underly defeated educational consultant Deborah Kerr in the April election.

By the time of the election the group had reported spending over $780,000 for digital and TV ads.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: February 9, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Special: 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. Since 2010, the organization has spent more than an estimated $6 million on  independent expenditures and phony issue ads  in Wisconsin legislative and statewide elections.

Twelve days before the February 16th primary, the group reported spending $27,000 for mailers and radio ads to support Republican Rep. John Jagler in the special election primary for the 13th State Senate district. Jagler was one of three Republicans running for the seat left vacant when the incumbent, Republican Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the November 2020 elections.

Five days before the primary it reported spending about another $35,000 for mailers, texts and digital advertisements to support Jagler.

Jagler won the primary and defeated a Democrat and two Independents in the April 6th election.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: February 10, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Special: Oath • Spending

This is a new independent expenditure committee whose address is the same as a UPS Store in Pewaukee.

The group registered with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission earlier this month and filed paperwork showing it spent $20,000 on mailers and texting to oppose Republican Debbie Jacques, of Green Bay, who was running in the special election in the 89th Assembly District. It is not known which candidate it actually supported.

Jacques faced four other Republican candidates in a Feb. 16 primary to determine who would move on to run against Democratic candidate Karl Jaeger on the April 6 ballot. The special election was called to coincide with the spring election after GOP Rep. John Nygren, of Marinette, quit shortly after being reelected last November to become a lobbyist. Jacques was defeated in the primary by Elijah Behnke, the winner in the April election.

Wisconsinites for Liberty Fund’s treasurer was identified as Matthew Karas, who was also the treasurer last year for a conservative SuperPAC called Americans 4 Security. Americans 4 Security was located in Marshfield and spent more than $300,000 to support Republican Jason Church in a 7th Congressional District special election.

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 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: March 12, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Spring: 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. Since 2010 the group has made over $4 million in independent expenditures to influence partisan elections in Wisconsin. This is the first time it has done such spending in the officially non-partisan State Superintendent of Public Instruction election.

Less than four weeks before the April 6 election, the group first reported spending $56,500 for online ads opposing Pecatonica Area Schools district administrator Jill Underly for state school superintendent. Underly defeated educational consultant Deborah Kerr in the April election. The office's then-incumbent, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, appointed to fill the position in January 2019 by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, did not seek election.

Subsequently the federation reported spending nearly another $153,000 for videos and online advertising opposing Underly.

A video produced by the group accused Underly of being a hypocrite for repeatedly calling herself an advocate for public schools because she once sent her children to a private school.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2021 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2021

Posted: March 18, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Spring: Oath • Spending

This independent expenditure committee created by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin in 2010 makes independent expenditures on behalf of Democratic candidates for statewide office and the legislature in Wisconsin. Between 2010 and 2020 this committee spent nearly $1.6 million in Wisconsin state elections.

Less than three weeks before the April 6 election, it first reported spending $10,260 for online ads and text messages supporting Pecatonica Area School district administrator Jill Underly for state school superintendent. Underly defeated educational consultant Deborah Kerr in the April election. The office's incumbent, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, appointed to fill the position in January 2019 by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, did not seekk election.

By the day of the election Planned Parentood reported spending nearly an additional $6,400 for robocalls, online advertising and text messages.

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.