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

Posted: March 25, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Spring: Oath • Spending

WEAC Region 7 PAC, formerly called the Southeast United Educators PAC, is the political action committee (PAC) for the Madison regional branch of the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the state's largest teachers union.  WEAC and its various regional political action committees generally support Democratic candidates for legislative and statewide offices through outside electioneering activities and direct PAC contributions.

Less than two weeks before the April 6th election, the committee reported spending $110.76 for postcards to support Pecatonica Schools district administrator Jill Underly in the State Superintendent of Public Instruction election. 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 seek election.

Last active election: 2019

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

Posted: March 29, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Spring: Oath • Spending

This is an independent expenditure committee sponsored by the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), thestate's largest teachers union. WEAC first, and, last used this committee to make independent expenditures in 2012 when it spent more than $259,000 on the recall and fall legislative elections held that year.

WEAC's PAC spent nearly $1.8 million on independent expenditures in the four State Superintendent of Public Instruction elections held between 2001 and 2013. It made no such expenditures in the 2017 election.

Four weeks before the April 6th election the WEAC reported spending $955 on robocalls to support Jill Underly for state school superintendent. 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.

Last active election: 2012

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: June 1, 2021
Updated: August 7, 2022

Special: Oath • Spending

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.

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

Posted: January 26, 2021
Updated: August 30, 2021

Special: 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. Americans for Prosperity first got involved in Wisconsin politics through the medium of "issue ads" in 2006 and first reporting independent expenditures in 2018. Since then it has reported spending nearly $9 million on independent expenditures through the end of the 2020 fall elections.

In 2021 the organization was involved in two separate special elections, the April election in the 13th Senate District and the July election in the 37th Assembly.

37th Assembly

At the beginning of July the organization reported spending over $18,100 for canvassing, door hangers, mailers and online advertising to support Republican William Penterman, the victor in an eight-way primary, in the July 13th special election in the 37th Assembly District. The seat was left open when the incumbent, Republican John Jagler, was elected to the 13th State Senate District seat in an April special election. (See below.) Penterman faced Democrat Pete Adams and Independent Stephen Ratzlaff, Jr.

A week before the July 13th election it reported spending an additional $4,400 on mailers to support Penterman. Penterman won the election.

13th Senate

About three weeks before the February 16th primary, the committee reported spending about $12,000 on canvassing and literature costs 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.

By the time of the election, Americans for Prosperity had reported spending over $150,000 for mailers, door hangers, canvassing and online advertising to support Jagler's successful campaign.

Mailers

Below are images of five Americans for Prosperity mailers obtained by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign in the weeks leading up the April 6th election. To see the full mailer as a pdf, click on the image.

Last active election: 2020

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.

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

Posted: April 7, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Spring: Oath • Spending

Organized in 2019, Blue Sky Waukesha, Inc. is a liberal leaning group based, as it name implies, in Waukesha County. Its president, Kristen Hansen is a Common Cause in Wisconsin board member. It first made independent expenditures in the 2020 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election.

The group first reported making independent expenditures in the 2021 spring elections on April 6th, the day of the election. It reported that nine days before it had spent nearly $5,500 on postcards to support Pecatonica Area Schools district administrator Jill Underly for the position of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Underly defeated educational consultant Deborah Kerr for the open office. The office's incumbent, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, appointed to fill the position in January 2019 by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, was not seeking election.

A day after the election it reported spending nearly another $5,500 for postcards in the state school superintendent race.

Last active election: 2020

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.

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

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

Spring: Oath • Spending

The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance was created in October 2019 to represent Muslim political interests and encourage Muslim political participation.

Two days after the April 6th election, it reported had spent $1,600 for Facebook ads supporting Pecatonica Area Schools district administrator Jilly Underly in the State Superintendent of Public Instruction election. Underly defeated educational consultant Deborah Kerr in the election for the nominally nonpartisan office. The incumbent, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, appointed to fill the position in January 2019 by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, was not seeking election.

Last active election: 2020

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.

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

Posted: March 11, 2021
Updated: March 29, 2021

On March 26, the Wisconsin Education Assocation Council shifted all spending previously reported as through its PAC to its independent expenditure committee. Please see that profile for information on spending in the 2021 elections.

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

Posted: April 6, 2021
Updated: July 30, 2021

Spring: Oath • Spending
Special: Oath • Spending

Rebecca PAC was created in the summer of 2020 by former Republican Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. The committee contributed $121,000 to Republican candidates in the fall 2020 legislative elections. This is the first time this PAC has reported independent exependitures.

The day before the April 6th spring and special elections the committee reported spending $5,000 for online ads to support educational consultant Deborah Kerr in the State Superintendent of Public Instruction election. Kerr faced Pecatonica Area Schools district administrator Jill Underly, the eventual winner. The office's current incumbent, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, appointed to fill the position in January 2019 by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, did not seek election.

At the same time the PAC reported spending $100 for online ads to support Republican Elijah Behnke in the special election in the 89th Assembly District. The seat was left vacant when the incumbent, Republican John Nygren, resigned barely a month after his reelection in November 2020. Behnke won the election.

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

Posted: July 29, 2021
Updated: August 30, 2021

Special: Oath • Spending

This is the political action committee (PAC) for Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative group that opposes gay marriage and domestic partnership.

Nine days after the June 13th special election in the 37th Assembly District, the PAC reported it had spent about $41 on robocalls to support the winning candidate, Republican William Penterman.

This the first time Family Action has reported making independent expenditures through its PAC It usually reserves such activity for its independent expenditure committee which had been active both in this race and an earlier special election in 2021.