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

Posted: May 11, 2023
Updated: March 25, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

Based in Bedford, Mass., Climate Emergency Advocates is an affiliate of Action for the Climate Emergency that works to mobilize young people to advocate for fossil free fuel alternatives.

About a month after the April 4 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, the group reported it had spent nearly $50,000 to support Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, against former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative, for a ten-year open seat on the high court.

Protasiewicz won the election. When she took her seat in August, the court's ideological balance shifted from a 4-3 conservative majority to a 4-3 liberal one.

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

Posted: May 22, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending
Special: Oath • Spending

SEIU Healthcare, a Madison based affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, is the largest union representing healthcare workers in Wisconsin. This is the first time this union has made independent expenditures in a Wisconsin state election since the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial election. At that time, however, the union operated through a committee registered with the Wisconsin State Ethics Commission. This time it is operating as an unregistered committee which greatly reduces its reporting obligations.

Supreme Court (Spring)

In late May, the group reported it had spent about $2,650 in the April 4 election for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court to support liberal Milwaukee Circuit Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz against former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Daniel Kelly, an appointee of former GOP Gov. Scott Walker. The ideological composition of the high court was at stake as a member of the court's current 4-3 conservative majority was retiring.

Protasiewicz won the election and joined the court in August switching control of the court to liberals.

Service Employees International Union Committee on Political Education was also involved in this election as was SEIU Wisconsin State Council Independent Expenditure Committee.

Special

Concurrent with the high court race was a special election to fill a vacancy in suburban Milwaukee's 8th State Senate District. 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 election.

In late May, SEIU Wisconsin Healthcare reported it had spent about $2,650 in this race to support the Democratic candidate.

Last active election: 2018

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

Posted: July 10, 2023
Updated: March 22, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

Based in Madison, 350 Wisconsin Action Inc. was organized just over a year ago. The organization advocates for "climate justice" and policies that combat climate change. This is the first time it reported involvement in a Wisconsin state election. (At the end of August 2023, the group reported spending in the fall 2022 election.)

In late June, the oganization first reported that it made independent expenditures in the April 2023 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election. The group spent a little over $2,000 for online advertising and mailers to promote the candidacy of Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, over that of former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative first apponted to the high court by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker. Protasiewicz won the election. When she assumes her post in August, the officially non-partisan court will shift from a 4-3 conservative majority to a 4-3 liberal one.

Shortly after it first reported making independent expenditures in this race, the group reported spending about another $4,000 for phone banks in the election.

Last active election: 2022

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

Posted: February 23, 2023
Updated: March 22, 2024

Estimated spending: $5.6 million

This phony issue ad arm of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state largest business lobby, generally backs Republican and conservative candidates for statewide offices and the legislature.

WMC is one of the most powerful special interest groups in Wisconsin. The group spends millions of dollars on electioneering activities and lobbying to influence state policy and spending.

Between January 2010 and December 2022, WMC spent more than $31.8 million on phony issue ads and independent expenditures, making it one of the spending leaders on outside electioneering activities in Wisconsin state elections. WMC spends much of its money on negative broadcast ads that attack Democratic and left-leaning candidates and support Republican and conservative candidates.

Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, and conservative former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly were the top finishers in the Feb. 12, 2023 primary for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. They faced off in the April 4 general election for a 10-year seat on the high court to replace retiring Justice Patience Roggensack, a member of the court's then 4-3 conservative majority.

Shortly before the Feb. 21 spring primary, WMC first started a series of televisions ads - here, here and here - that attacked Protasiewicz for imposing light sentences on offenders in sexual assault cases, particularly those involving minors. Two of the ads were identical to ones sponsored by the Wisconsin Alliance for Reform.

In mid-March, WMC sponsored a 30-second television ad that accused Protasiewicz of handing out light sentences in cases where a mother killed her son and a nephew killed his aunt.

In late March, WMC sponsored a pair of television ads - here and here - that accused Protasiewicz of handing out light sentences in violent sexual assault cases.

Three weeks before the election, WMC reported its first independent expenditures in the race.

Last active election: 2022

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

Posted: March 1, 2023
Updated: March 22, 2024

Estimated Issue Ad Spending: $100,000 (Go here for independent expenditures for this group.)

This is the issue ad arm of a Monona-based group that supports Democratic and left-leaning candidates for legislative and statewide offices.

Unlike the group’s independent expenditure arm of nearly the same name, A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund, phony issue ad groups do not have to report their fundraising and spending activities on elections to the state.

Most of the contributions to the group’s independent expenditure arm come from labor union political action committees (PACs) and corporations, and Democratic ideological groups.

The organization’s spending on independent expenditures and phony issue ads since it first became active in Wisconsin state elections in 2020 totaled nearly $11.5 million through 2022, making it one of the top spenders on outside electioneering activities.

On March 1, 2023, the issue ad group sponsored a 30-second digital ad against Dan Kelly, a former conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who was running for that year’s open seat on the high court. He faced his more liberal opponent Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz on the April 4 ballot. Protasiewicz won the election, subsequently shifting the court from conservative to liberal control.

The digital ad highlighted Kelly’s endorsement by former President Donald Trump in Kelly’s 2020 failed bid to win election to the high court after being appointed in 2016 to fill a vacancy. The ad also says Kelly supports Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban and opposes same-sex marriage and LGTBQ rights.

Last active election: 2022

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

Posted: March 14, 2023
Updated: March 25, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

Also known as Dunn County Democrats and based in Menomonie, in northwest Wisconsin, this is the county affiliate of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. This is the first time the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has recorded independent expenditures by this party.

About three weeks before the April 4 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, the party reported it had spent - in cooperation with three other unnamed county parties - over $8,200 for billboards at the end of February to support Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz for that seat. Having survived a four-way primary in February, she faced former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly for a ten-year seat on the high court, a seat left vacant by the retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack. As conservatives currently then held a 4-3 advantage on the court, her retirement meant the ideological direction of the officially nonpartisan court was up for grabs. Kelly was appointed to the court by GOP Gov. Scott Walker.

Protasiewicz won the election.

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

Posted: March 14, 2023
Updated: March 22, 2024

Estimated spending: $600,000

This is a conservative phony issue ad group created by former GOP legislative and state Republican Party staffers to support GOP and conservative candidates for legislative and statewide offices.

The Alliance mirrors other rightwing groups, promoting lower taxes and smaller government to improve the economy, but only during state elections. It is not a registered lobbying group and its only contact information is a Waunakee post office box.

Wisconsin Alliance for Reform spent more than $3.8 million on electioneering activities in spring and fall elections between 2016 and 2022, making it one of the top outside spending groups in Wisconsin state elections.

One of the group’s directors is Eric O’Keefe, a former Club for Growth leader who was one of the targets of a John Doe investigation into alleged coordination between the Club and other electioneering groups with the campaign of former GOP Gov. Scott Walker.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal and former conservative state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly faced each other for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in an April 4, 2023 election that would determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court. Protasiewicz won the election.

In early and mid-February 2023, the Alliance sponsored two 30-second television ads – here and here – that accused Protasiewicz of imposing a light sentence on a man convicted of abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl. The Alliance's ads were identical to ones run by the WMC Issues Mobilization Council.

 Last active election: 2022

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

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

Spring: Oath • Spending

WEAC Region 6 PAC, formerly called the Rock Valley United Teachers, 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 usually support Democratic candidates for legislative and statewide offices through outside electioneering activities and direct PAC contributions. Since the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has been tracking them, this is the third time this PAC has made independent expenditures in a Wisconsin State Supreme Court Election.

Although the state's high court is officially non-partisan, at the time of the election in 2023, conservatives enjoyed a 4-3 majority, a majority at risk with the retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack.

The top two vote getters in the four-way primary held in February, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, and former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, a conservative appointee in 2016 to the court by GOP Gov. Scott Walker, faced off in the April 4 election for a ten-year seat on the court.

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

In mid-March, the PAC reported spending just over $760 for printing and postage costs in support of Protasiewicz.

Another WEAC affiliate, WEAC Region 7 PAC, made independent expenditures in this election.

Last active election: 2019

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

Posted: March 22, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

Based in Eau Claire, in northwest Wisconsin, this is the county affiliate of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. This is the first time the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has recorded independent expenditures by this party.

The 2023 retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack left a seat vacant on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court and placed the ideological direction of the high court up for grabs in the April election as Roggensack was member of the court's 4-3 conservative majority.

Four candidates - two conservatives and two liberals - ran in the Feb. 21 nonpartisan primary. The primary winnowed that field down to two: Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, one of the liberals, and former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, originally appointed to the court by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker, a conservative. Protasiewicz won in the April 4 election and shifted the court's ideological direction when she took office the following August.

About two weeks before the election, the party reported spending $3,000 for radio ads supporting Kelly.

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

Posted: March 25, 2023
Updated: March 26, 2024

Spring: Oath • Spending

This is a political action committee (PAC) used by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation to make independent expenditures and direct contributions to support legislative and statewide candidates, overwhelmingly Republican ones. The federation is one of the state’s largest and most influential agricultural lobbying and advocacy groups. 

Although the Wisconsin State Supreme Court is officially non-partisan, conservatives enjoyed a 4-3 majority at the time of the 2023 election, a majority at risk with the retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack.

Four candidates initially sought the vacant seat but the nonpartisan Feb. 21 primary reduced the field to two: Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, and former Wisconsin State Supreme Court Judge Dan Kelly, a conservative.

Protasiewicz defeated Kelly in the April 4 election and joined the high court the following August, giving the court a new 4-3 liberal majority.

Less than two weeks before the election, Volunteers reported spending $2,400 for postcards supporting Kelly.

Last active election: 2022