Hijacking Campaign 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: February 11, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

Safe Families Wisconsin registered with the state at the end of January 2023 to make independent expenditures in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court election that spring. Paperwork filed with the state shows it shared an address with a UPS store in Chicago and banked in Utah.

Four candidates – two conservatives and two liberals – ran in the nonpartisan Feb. 21 primary to replace retiring Justice Patience Roggensack, a member of the officially nonpartisan Wisconsin State Supreme Court's then 4-3 conservative majority.

The group reported spending over $248,000 on mailers to oppose Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow, one of the two conservatives in the primary. Dorow was one of the two candidates eliminated in the primary.

The other conservative in the primary was former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, an appointee of former GOP Governor Scott Walker who was voted off the court in 2020. Kelly made it through the primary and faced Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz in the April 4 election. Protasiewicz won the election and shifted control of the court from the conservatives to the liberals.

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: February 18, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending
Special: Oath • Spending

This independent disbursement committee is run by Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative group that opposes gay marriage and domestic partnerships. Between disclosed independent expenditures and undisclosed issue ads, this group spent over $1.26 million between 2010 and 2022 to support Republican and conservative candidates for legislative and statewide offices in Wisconsin.

Supreme Court (Spring)

Four candidates – two conservatives and two liberals – vied for an open 10-year seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2023. The four faced off in a Feb. 21 primary where the top two finishers moved on to the April 4 general election to replace retiring conservative Justice Patience Roggensack.

The winner of the election would determine the ideological balance of the court, which was controlled 4-3 by conservatives at the time of the election. The winners in the primary were former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative, and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal. Kelly, an appointee to the court in 2016 by former GOP Governor Scott Walker, lost the seat in the 2020 election.

Protasiewicz won the election and joined the court the following August giving liberals a 4-3 majority on the court.

Wisconsin Family action reported spending about $6,200 on texts and phone calls to support Kelly in the primary.

The group spent about a further $249,000 for text, phone calls and online advertisements to support Kelly in the general election.

Special

A special election primary to fill the vacant 8th State Senate District in suburban Milwaukee was held at the same time as the primary for the high court. The GOP primary was contested by three candidates including two sitting members of the State Assembly, Rep. Dan Knodl and Rep. Janel Brandtjen. Brandtjen, an Assembly Republican from Menomonee Falls since 2014, is a supporter of Trump and his false claims that the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost, was stolen. Knodl won the primary and went on to defeat Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin in the April 4 election. There was no Democratic primary.

The day after the special election primary, the committee reported it had spent about $44 for texts to support Brandtjen.

Last active election: 2022

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: February 28, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending
Special: Oath • Spending

This committee was newly formed in fall 2018 by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, now called Wisconsin Conservation Voters, a statewide environmental advocacy group, to make independent expenditures on behalf of candidates the organization supports in legislative and statewide elections. From its inception in 2018 through the fall 2022 election, this committee spent over $5.6 million supporting candidates for the legislature and state-wide offices such as governor and the state supreme court. Since 2010, Wisconsin Conservation Voters as an organization has used four different committees to make independent expenditures amounting to almost $7.7 million in state elections, placing the group among the highest spending outside electioneering groups in Wisconsin state elections.

Supreme Court (Spring)

Four candidates – two conservatives and two liberals – competed in the Feb. 21 primary to earn a place on the Aril 4 ballot to replace retiring conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Patience Roggensack. The winner of the election would determine the ideological balance of the court, then 4-3 by conservatives.

Former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative 2016 appointee of former GOP Gov. Scott Walker who was voted off the court in 2020, faced Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, in the April 4 election.

Protasiewicz won the election and changed the high court to a 4--3 liberal majority when she took her seat the following August.

Six days after the Feb. 21 primary, Wisconsin Conservation Voters reported its first independent expenditures in the spring election, spending about $229,000 for campaign literature and "payroll company management expenses" to back Protasiewicz.

In the following weeks, the committee would spend an additional $802,000 to support Protasiewicz.

Special

Concurrent with the 2023 high court election ws a special election to fill a vacancy in the suburban Milwaukee's 8th State Senate District following the December 2022 retirement of long-time Republican incumbent Alberta Darling. Rep. Dan Knodl of Germantown survived a three way Republican primary and defeated Democratic newcomer and attorney Jodi Habush Sinykin in the April 4 election. There was no Democratic primary.

The same time Wisconsin Conservation Voters first reported spending in the court race, it also reported its first independent expenditures in the 8th Senate, about $47,400 for campaign literature and "payroll company management expenses" in support of Habush Sinykin.

It later spent about another $52,500 for mailers in the election.

Last active election: 2022

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: March 2, 2023
Updated: March 25, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

This is an independent expenditure committee used by Citizen Action of Wisconsin to pay for electioneering activities to support Democratic candidates in legislative and statewide elections. The organization is a coalition of labor, environment, senior citizen and other groups. Between 2010 and 2022 the group spent over $7250,000 in Wisconsin elections, both partisan and nonpartisan.

At the beginning of March 2023, the organization filed papers with the state showing it supported Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz in the April 4 election for an open seat on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. She faced former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, who was originally appointed to the court by former GOP Governor Scott Walker. The winner would replace retiring conservative Justice Patience Roggensack and would determine the ideological direction of the court.

Protasiewicz won the election and gave liberals a 4-3 majority on the court when she assumed her seat in August 2023.

Citizen Action reported spending over $30,000 for phone calls, canvassing and mailers to support Protasiewicz.

Last active election: 2022

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: March 3, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

This is an independent expenditure committee created by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin in 2010 to make independent expenditures on behalf of Democratic candidates for statewide office and the legislature in Wisconsin. As of 2022, this committee, versus all the other committees Planned Parenthood has used over the years, had spent over $2.9 million in Wisconsin state elections.

At the beginning of March 2023, the committee first filed papers with the state showing it supported Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz in the April 4 election for an open seat on the officially nonpartisan Wisconsin State Supreme Court. She defeated former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a 2016 appointee to the court by former GOP Governor Scott Walker who was voted off the court in 2020. With her win and assumption of her seat, she ended the conservative 4-3 majority on the court.

Over the course of the following month leading up to the election, Planned Parenthood reported spending over a total of $562,000 for canvassing, postcards, mailers and radio and online advertising to support Protasiewicz's campaign.

Last active election: 2022

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: March 14, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

This committee is used by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state’s largest business group, to make independent expenditures to support Republican and conservative candidates for legislative and statewide offices.

WMC spent an estimated $31.8 million on independent expenditures and phony issue ads between 2010 and 2022, making it one of the top spenders in Wisconsin state elections.

About three weeks before the April 4 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, the committee reported making independent expenditures in that race, reporting $3,000 for signs to oppose the election of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz. Protasiewicz faced former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, appointed to that position in 2016 by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker but voted out in 2020, for a 10-year seat left vacant by the retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack. Roggensack's retirement placed the 4-3 conservative court majority at risk.

Protasiewicz won the election and gave liberals a 4-3 majority when she joined the high court the following August.

WMC had already started a television-based "issue ad" campaign opposing Protasiewicz before the Feb. 21 primary.

Last active election: 2022

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: March 15, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending
Special: Oath • Spending

Based in Shorewood, WI, Power to the Polls Action Fund first registered with the state to make independent expenditures in the 2023 spring and special elections at the end of February of that year. A similarly named organization, with the same address, was active in the fall 2022 election as an unregistered committee, a committee whose website seems to be defunct when this was first posted. Power to the Polls Action Fund's treasurer is listed as Calena Roberts. A Calena Roberts was identified as a field director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in a number of news articles covering the 2022 elections. The SEIU has long been a major presence in Wisconsin state politics.

Supreme Court (Spring)

At the time of the election, conservatives enjoyed a 4-3 advantage on the officially nonpartisan Wisconsin State Supreme Court, an advantage up for grabs with the retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack.

The Feb. 21 primary winnowed a field of four candidates - two conservatives and two liberals - down to two who faced each other in the April 4 general election: Former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Daniel Kelly, a conservative 2016 appointee of former GOP Gov. Scott Walker voted off the court in a 2020 election, and Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, the remaining liberal.

Protasiewicz won the election and shifted the ideological balance of the high court when she took her seat the following August.

Power to the Polls reported spending nearly half a million dollars for mailers, canvassing and online and radio advertising to support Protasiewicz.

Special

A special election to fill a vacancy in suburban Milwaukee's 8th State Senate District was held concurrently with the court race. 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 April 4 election.

Power to the Polls reported spending over $17,300 to support Habush Sinykin.

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: March 16, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

Progress North is a liberal organization based in the Wisconsin northwoods sponsored by TakeAction Minnesota. First active in 2020, the group previously restricted its reported campaign activity to supporting Democratic legislative candidates in the Lake Superior region. The 2023 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election marks the first time it has expanded its electoral reach beyond that region or that level of office.

Although the state's high court is officially non-partisan, conservatives enjoyed a 4-3 majority on the court at the time of the election. That majority was placed at risk with the retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack.

After the Feb. 21 pared a four candidate field down to two, the remaining candidates Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz and former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly faced off in the April 4 election for a ten-year seat on the court. Protasiewicz was supported by liberal groups and Kelly, originally appointed to the court by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker, by conservatives.

Protasiewicz won the election and took office in the following August shifting the court's majority from a conservative to a liberal one.

Progress North first reported spending less than three weeks before the election with $5,200 canvassing and online advertising to support Protasiewicz.

In the following weeks, it reported spending nearly another $20,300 in the race.

Last active election: 2022

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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Posted: March 17, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

This arm of the Virginia-based Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) sponsors outside electioneering activities to support conservative candidates in judicial races throughout the country. This committee reported spending over $2.25 million on three state Wisconsin State Supreme Court elections between 2016 and 2020.

Although the state's high court is officially non-partisan, at the time of the election, conservatives enjoyed a 4-3 majority that was placed at risk with the retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack.

After the Feb. 21 primary narrowed a four-candidate field down to two, the remaining candidates, liberal Milwaukee Judge Janet Protasiewicz and former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, a conservative, faced off, in the April 4 election for a ten-year seat on the court. Protasiewicz won the election and shifted ideological control of the court away from the conservatives.

Less than three weeks before the election, the committee reported its first spending in the race with nearly $46,500 going for mailers to support Kelly and oppose Protasiewicz.

Subsequently the committee reported spending about another $153,000 for mailers and online advertising to back Kelly in the race.

An affiliate of this committee was also active in the special election held concurrently with the high court 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 2023 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2023

Post: March 23, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

This is an independent expenditure committee based in Washington, D.C., that first became involved in Wisconsin's 2022 fall state elections by supporting the reelection of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Little else is known about the group, which was created in March 2022 and whose largest contributor at the time of this posting is hedge-fund manager Jerome Simon.

In mid-March 2023, the group sponsored a digital ad - at a reported cost of $20,000 -  featuring three Wisconsin business leaders who identified themselves as longtime Democrats or Republicans. In the ad, they urged listeners to support liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz in the April 4 election to fill a vacant seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The business leaders in the ad claimed her opponent, former conservative Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, was unfit to serve on the high court because he was involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Two days after it reported its initial spending on the ad, Project Democracy reported spending another $130,000 for further online advertising in the race.

Protasiewicz won the election shifting the high court from a 4-3 conservative majority to a 4-3 liberal one.

Last active election: 2022

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.