Hijacking Campaign 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 2, 2026
Updated: April 27, 2026

Spring: Oath • Spending

Based in Shorewood, Wisconsin, Wisco Project PAC is a federally registered super PAC operating in the 2026 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election campaign as an unregistered express advocacy group. Wisco Project PAC first made independent expenditures in the 2024 federal elections, when it supported Democratic candidates in both the presidential and Wisconsin congressional elections. This is the first time the committee has reported spending in Wisconsin state-level elections, although a committee with strong ties to Wisco Project PAC was involved in 2025’s high court election. The committee’s parent organization, The Wisco Project, operates a bare-bones website that does not provide much information other than it intends to mobilize students in the 2026 election. Registration materials, however, show that Wisco Project PAC’s treasurer is Paul Sickel, a state-registered lobbyist for the Wisconsin branch of the SEIU.

At the end of February, with about five weeks remaining until the April 7th election, Wisco Project PAC reported spending $24,500* for online ads to support Dane County Court Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for an open seat on the state’s highest court. Taylor, who had been a Democratic state legislator before joining the bench, faces Waukesha Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar for the officially nonpartisan office. Lazar first won her current position with independent backing from conservative groups and enjoys such support in this election as well. As the open seat is currently held by a member of the officially nonpartisan court's conservative minority, Taylor’s victory would expand the seven-member court's liberal majority from four to five seats.

At the beginning of March, the committee reported spending another $65,750 for online ads to support Taylor and over $83,200* for staff expenses through April 15.

About two weeks before the committee first reported independent spending, its parent organization, the Wisconsin Project, Inc., ran at least one online issue ad against Lazar.

*Revised from original amount per amendment.

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 4, 2026
Updated: August 13, 2026

Fall: Oath • Spending
Spring: Oath • Spending

Based in Brooklyn, New York, the Working Families Party PAC is a federally registered political action committee affiliated with the Working Families Party operating as an unregistered express advocacy group in Wisconsin. The party describes itself as a coalition of labor and community groups seeking to elect progressives to local and state offices nationwide and not necessarily Democrats. The committee first reported Wisconsin independent expenditure activity under this name in the 2025 supreme court election. It had previously made independent expenditures in state Wisconsin elections under the name WFP National PAC. The party’s state affiliate made independent expenditures in the 2016 and 2020 fall, partisan elections but retired its independent expenditure committee at the end of 2024.

Fall Election

Working Families Party PAC first reported making independent expenditures in the fall partisan elections about three weeks out from the August 11th primaries. It reported spending just over $5,600* for texting, online advertising, and printing costs to support Ismael Luna against incumbent Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez in the 8th Assembly District Democratic primary.

A day after filing its initial report, it reported spending an additional $1,400 for texting and graphic design services in the 8th, as well as $6,300 for texting in three other state assembly Democratic primaries, the 12th, 50th, and 61st districts. In the first it again supports the challenger to a Democratic incumbent, Rep. Russell Antonio Goodwin, Sr.. The winner of that race faces no opposition in November. In the 50th, it supports Roman Jordan in three-way primary in a seat vacated by a Democratic incumbent seeking higher office. The winner of that primary faces a Republican opponent. In the last race, it backs Lawanda Chambers in another three-way primary, but this time the primary winner will face incumbent GOP Rep. Bob Donovan.

Less than two weeks before the primaries, the committee reported spending over $21,900* on phone banks, online advertising, mailers and campaign staff in four state assembly races, the 8th, 12th, 19th and the 50th. The new race here is the 19th, where it supports Democratic incumbent Rep. Ryan Clancy. Clancy faces a challenger in the primary and, should he win, a Republican opponent in November. Working Families Party PAC's efforts in the 19th are made in conjunction with another group, MTEA PAC Fund.

A week before the primaries, it reported spending $37,600 for dgitial ads and mailers iin the 8th, 19th, 50th and 51st Assembly district races.

The day after the primaries, it reported it had spent an additional $3,400 across the five assembly races where it was active.

*Revised from orginal posting per amended reports filed by the organization.

Spring Election

At the beginning of March, five weeks before the April 7th spring election day, Working Families Party PAC spent over $2,700* for phone banks, brochures and staff time to support Dane County Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for an open seat on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Taylor, a former Democratic state legislator, faced fellow Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar who first gained her current position with conservative independent expenditure groups backing. Taylor won the election expanding liberal control of the seven-member, officially nonpartisan court from four to five seats.

Four weeks before the election, the PAC spending over another $6,600* for campaign literature, texts, canvassing and consulting expenes.

Three weeks before the election, the group spent about another $975* for printing, canvassing and texting in the race. Two days later it reported another $76 for texting.

Two weeks before the election, Working Families Party PAC reported spending $975* for various campaign related expenses. (It also reported spending in a state senate race, but, while the candidate in question ran as a write-in candidate for the senate in 2022, he is not registered to run in 2026. At this time, he is running for the Chippewa County Board of Supervisors, and it is most likely that the independent expenditures are in support of that campaign.)

Eight days before the elction, the group reported over another $370 for texting and other incidental expenses in the high court campaign.

The Friday before the election, it reported spending about $64 for phones/texting.

Two days before the election, Working Families Party PAC reported about another $36 for phone calls. The day before the election, it reported spending over $960* for miscellaneous campaign costs.

Two days after the election, it reported it over $220 on phones/texting in the last two days of the campaign.

*Revised from original posting on account of filed amendments.

Last active election: 2025

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 6, 2026
Updated: August 19, 2026

Fall: Oath • Spending
Spring: Oath • Spending

Based in Shorewood, Wisconsin, the Half Court Political Fund first registered with the state to make independent expenditures in the 2025 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election. This committee shares its address and treasurer with Wisco Project PAC, a federally registered political action committee (PAC) also operating as an unregistered express advocacy group in this year's spring elections. The treasurer for the two committees, Paul Sickel, also lobbies for SEIU – Wisconsin, the state affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, the union that represents health care, service and public sector workers. The state SEIU has also reported making independent expenditures in the spring elections. Half Court Political Fund has not reported any income since 2025's spring elections, but all its money that year came from three sources, the aforementioned Wisco Project PAC, Project 72 Wisconsin, and A Better Wisconsin Together, the last named also active in this year's high court election. Project 72 Wisconsin shares a street address with Wisco Project PAC and its federal PAC made $421,000 in independent expenditures opposing the Republican candidate in Wisconsin's 2024 U.S. Senate election.

In the first half of 2026, Half Court Political Fund's income was just over $180,000, with $150,000 from the Strategic Victory Fund, based in North Carolina, and $30,000 from San Francisco-based Tech for Campaigns. Strategic Victory Fund was started in 2020 to oppose President Donald Trump and works to promote Democrats at the state level. It also has a federally registered independent expenditure committee. Tech for Campaigns works to elect Democratic and left-of center candidates, and it, too, has a federal independent expenditure committee. Tech for Campaigns made independent expenditures in the 2023 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election as an unregistered committee.

Fall Election

Half Court Political Fund first reported making independent expenditures in the 2026 fall partisan state elections, two weeks from the August 11th primary. It spent $9,000 for online advertising against U.S. Congrsessman Tom Tiffany scheduled to run through the primary. A member the far-right House Freedom Caucus, Tiffany enjoys the endorsement of the President Donald Trump and faced only token oppostion in the Republican primary from political newcomer Andy Manske. Meanwhile, seven Democrats appeared on their party's primary ballot, although three of them had suspended their campaigns by August.

The day after the primary, the committee reportedn spending $58,500 for online advertising to support the winner in the Democratic primary for governor, Milwaukee County Executive and former state legislator David Crowley, in the November 3rd election. The Democratic incumbent, Gov. Tony Evers, is not seeking a third term.

Three days after the primary, the group reported spending over another $204,000 to pay campaign staff through September 23rd. In addition to Crowley in the governor's race, it is supporting Democrats in three state senate races - the 5th, 17th, and 21st - and six assembly contests, the 21st, 30th, 53rd, 61st, 88th and 92nd. All the legislative seats are currently held by Republicans but the current incumbents in the 5^th and 21^st Senate Districts are not running for reelection. In the 17^th Senate GOP incumbent Sen. Howard Marklein faces Democratic challenger Rep. Jenna Jacobson. As for the Assembly, only two of the seats are open, the 21^st and 53^rd.

A week after the August 11th primary, it reported spending $58,500 for online ads scheduled to run between August 18th and August 24th to support Crowley.

Spring Election

Toward the end of the first week in March, the group reported spending in the 2026 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election with about $3,900 going towards printing costs to support Dane County Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for the high court. She faced Waukesha County Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar for an open seat on the officially nonpartisan court in the April 7th election. A former Democratic state legislator, she was supported by liberal groups, while Lazar was backed by conservatives and first gained her current position with the help of independent spending by conservative groups. Liberal control of the officially nonpartisan, seven-member court expanded from four to five seats with Taylor's election victory.

At the end of the second week in March, Half Court Political Fund reported spending about another $860 to cover printing costs in the high court race.

Two weeks before the election, the group reported spending $15,000 for mobile gaming ads. At the end of the last full week in March, it reported about another $1,800, the bulk of that going towards outdoor advertising.

Eight days before the election, Half Court Political Fund reported another $15,000 devoted to online advertising. Two days later, it reported about $75 for event tabling expenses.

The day of the election, the committee reported spent about $1,370* for phones/texting and volunteer meals.

In July, the committee reported it had spent nearly $4,600 for miscellaneous printing costs two days after the April 1st election.

*Changed from the original report to account for a later amendment filed by the committee.

Last active election: 2025

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 11, 2026
Updated: July 16, 2026

Fall: Oath • Spending
Spring: Oath • Spending

This is a Madison-based independent expenditure committee affiliated with the state branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents health and home care, nursing home, and public service workers. Over the years, SEIU has used numerous state and national political action committees (PACs) and other entities to make independent expenditures to support Democrats and oppose Republicans in Wisconsin state elections. This particular committee was first active in 2020, and, as of last spring, has made over $1.4 million in independent expenditures in Wisconsin state-level elections.

Fall Election

Three days after the April 7th Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, the group first reported activity in the 2024 fall partisan elections with $230 spent on supplies for a Tax Day rally. The group opposes gubernatorial hopeful Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany. A member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, Tiffany has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Candidates for the fall elections qualify for primary ballot placement in June and the primary is on August 11.

In mid-July, it reported it had spent about another $76 in April to oppose Tiffany.

Spring Election

Four weeks out from the court election, the committee reported spending about $240 for meeting expenses in the high court campaign. SEIU backs Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for an open seat on the state’s highest court. The former Democratic state legislator and Dane County-based judge faced fellow appeals court judge Maria Lazar. Taylor was supported by liberal independent spending groups and Lazar, based in the conservative bastion of Waukesha, by conservative groups and the state GOP. Lazar first won her current position with the help of independent backing by conservative groups. Taylor won the election giving liberals a five-seat majority on the officially nonpartisan seven-member court.

Two groups with ties to SEIU, Half Court Political Fund and WISCO Project PAC, had already reported making independent expenditures on behalf of Taylor by the time SEIU first reported any spending in the race.

Last active election: 2025

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 17, 2026
Updated: April 8, 2026

Spring: Oath • Spending

A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund is the independent expenditure arm of A Better Wisconsin Together, an organization that supports Democratic and left-leaning candidates for the legislature, statewide and local offices. Between the 2020 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, when it was first active, and the high court election in 2025, the group's disclosed spending in Wisconsin state-level election was just under $28.9 million. That does not count undisclosed spending on issue ads which the group often employs. Indeed, it had started running online issue ads in this year's high court race a full month and a half before it first reported independent spending. Groups are not legally required to disclose how much is spent on issue ads.

In mid-March, about three weeks before the April 7th election, A Better Wisconsin first reported independent spending – as opposed to its earlier issue ad campaign - in the 2026 high court race with over $238,000 going towards online advertising to support Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for an open seat on the officially nonpartisan Wisconsin State Supreme Court. The Dane County-based judge and former Democratic state legislator faces fellow appeals court judge Maria Lazar of Waukesha. Taylor had already garnered independent spending support from several liberal groups by this time and Lazar from at least one of their conservative counterparts. Lazar had first won her current position with just such support. A Taylor would victory would see liberals expand their control of the seven-member court from four to five seats.

Two days after A Better Wisconsin first reported independent expenditures, an ad paid for by the committee and appearing on YouTube came to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's attention. The ad attacks Lazar for supporting the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned abortion rights and urges viewers to vote "No" on Lazar in the upcoming election.

Two more ads credited to the committee can also be found on YouTube. One ad urges voters to reject Lazar for siding with polluting corporations over Wisconsin Citizens. This ad is similar to an issue ad run earlier by the committee's parent organization. The second ad portrays Taylor as a defender of Wisconsin families and freedoms from President Donald Trump. A third ad running on YouTube - no link available - claims Taylor will defend the constitution from Trump's attacks and oppose judicial corruption. All the ads conclude by encouraging viewers to vote for Taylor.

Thirteen days before the election the committee reported spending over another $109,000 for radio and online ads in the court campaign. Some of the ads were credited as part of a joint campaign with an unnamed entity. By the last Friday in March, two days later, an ad started running on You Tube that contrasted Lazar's support for the U.S. Supreme court decision ending abortion rights with Taylor's support for such rights. The ad was credited A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund and Priorities USA Action. The latter is an independent expenditure committee connected to Priorities USA, an organization whose stated mission is to elect progressives to office from the local to federal levels. It supported the Biden and Harris campaigns in 2024, for examples.

Shortly after the first ad with Priorities Action USA premiered, a second, shorter version appeared that attacks Lazar's for her opposition to abortion and concludes by telling the viewer to reject Lazar. The ad makes no mention of Taylor. This was also co-sponsored by Priorities Action USA.

Within a week of the April election, another ad by A Better Wisonsin Poltical Fund was running on YouTube. This one cites Taylor's history of protecting people's rights and claims she will continue to fight for them on the court. The ad ends by urging a vote for Taylor.

Four days before the election another ad co-sponsored with Priorities USA Action appeared on YouTube. In the ad, a bearded young man in a hat speaks to what appears to be a computer camera saying he intends to vote for Chris Taylor. He says she supports workers' rights, reproductive rights and health care. Another commerical sponsored by the two groups features the same man once again addressing the camera. This time he goes into more depth about Taylor's past as a state legislator and former Planned Parenthood official once again stressing issues such as abortion and worker's rights.

The day of the election another ad co-sponsored with Priorities USA Action appeared on YouTube. The ad was presented as a phone video with a woman urging the viewer to vote for Taylor. Protecting abortion rights was the most prominent talking point.

Last active election: 2025

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 18, 2026
Updated: April 4, 2026

Spring: Oath • Spending

Founded in 1979 by Nan Aron, the Alliance for Justice is a coalition of liberal-leaning groups that works to promote the election and appointment of progressive and left-leaning judges. It made independent expenditures in the last three Wisconsin State Supreme Court elections although it operated under a slightly different name the first time, in 2020.

Three weeks before the April 7th Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, the group reported spending about $3,400 for online advertising, website development, and campaign staff to support Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for an open seat on the seven-member court. A former Democratic state legislator, the Dane County-based judge faces Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar. By the time Alliance for Justice first reported spending in the race, ten other liberal groups had already entered the race to back Taylor with independent expenditures or issue ads while Lazar had drawn independent backing from one conservative group, Restoration of America PAC. Lazar first won election to her current position with independent backing by conservative groups. A Taylor victory would expand liberal control of the officially nonpartisan court from four to five seats.

The Friday before the election, it reported spending over $8,500 for campaign staff and phones/texting costs.

Last active election: 2025

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 20, 2026
Updated: July 16, 2026

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 usually support Democratic candidates for legislative and statewide offices through outside electioneering activities and direct PAC and conduit contributions.

At the end of the third week in March, less than three weeks before the April 7th spring elections, the PAC reported its first independent expenditures in the 2026 Wisconsin State Supreme Court campaign with about $2,400* going toward postage to support Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor. The Madison-based Taylor faced fellow Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar for an open seat on the state's highest court. A victory by Lazar, who first won her place on the appeals court with independent backing from conservative groups, would have maintained the officially nonpartisan court's ideological status quo. Taylor, a former Democratic state legislator, won the election expanding liberal control of the seven-member court from four to five seats. 

*Figure revised per amendment.

Last active election: 2025

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 25, 2026
Updated: July 16, 2026

Spring: Oath • Spending

Activate America is a federally registered super PAC based in Oakland, California. The organization was established in 2017 in response to the first Trump presidential administration and works to elect Democrats to congress nationwide. The organization first registered with the state as an independent disbursement committee at the beginning of February 2025 to campaign in the that year's Wisconsin State Supreme Court election.

In early February, it reported* it had spent about $8,200 in mid-January on voter data collection for the production of postcards for use in the 2026 supreme court campaign. The committee supported Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor against fellow appeals court judge Maria Lazar for an open seat on the seven-member court in the April 7th election.  A victory by Lazar, who first won her place on the appeals court with independent backing from conservative groups, would have maintained the officially nonpartisan court's ideological status quo. Taylor, a former Democratic state legislator, won the election expanding liberal control of the seven-member court from four to five seats.

Thirteen day before the election, it reported spending about $1,666** for postcard data.

A week before the election, it reported about $760*** for phone banks.

*The committee did not file the 72-hour independent expenditure report. This information was taken from the committee's 2026 Spring Pre-Primary report. Figure revised per subsequent amendment.

**The committee did not file the 72-hour independent expenditure report. This information was taken from the committee's 2026 Spring Pre-Election report. 

***Revised from original posting to account for later amendment filed by the committee.

Last active election: 2025

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 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted March 25, 2026
Updated: July 20, 2026

Fall: Oath • Spending
Spring: Oath • Spending

This political action committee (PAC) is sponsored by the suburban Milwaukee based progressive advocacy organization of the same name. The PAC made its first independent expenditures in a Wisconsin state election on behalf of Democratic candidate for governor Tom Barrett, who unsuccessfully challenged Republican Gov. Scott Walker in a June 2022 recall election, a rematch of their 2010 contest.

Fall Election

In July, the group reported it has spent over $450 in June for campaign literature to support fourteen Democrats for state partisan office, including two running for state treasurer and all of the seven candidates in the August 11th primary for governor, and two of them, Missy Hughes and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, have since dropped out of the race. The incumbent governor, Democrat Tony Evers, is not seeking reelection.

Spring Election

In February, the group reported* spending about $1,080 for printing costs in the 2026 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election. The group supported Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor in the race. Based in Dane-County, the former Democratic state legislator faced fellow appeals court Judge Maria Lazar, of Waukesha, for an open seat on the officially nonpartisan court. Lazar's election would have maintained the then-current ideological balance on the court. Taylor's election victory gives liberals a five-seat advantage on the seven-member court.

Nine days before the election, it reported** about another $300** devoted to the race between early February and mid-March.

*The committee did not file the 72-hour independent expenditure report. This information was taken from the committee's 2026 Spring Pre-Primary report.

**The committee did not file the 72-hour independent expenditure report. This information was taken from the committee's 2026 Spring Pre-Election report. Figure revised per amendment.

Last active election: 2025

Hijacking Campaign 2026 | Campaign 2026

Posted: March 27, 2026
Updated: April 13, 2026

Spring: Oath • Spending

This Washington D.C. group supports Democratic and liberal candidates for federal and state offices. Between 2016, when it was first active in the state, and 2025, it reported spending over $2.87 million in both partisan and non-partisan in Wisconsin state-level elections. It has done all its spending through "unregistered" committees, meaning it does not need to report its sources of income to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, the state agency that monitors and regulates campaign spending. This is the fourth committee bearing this name. This iteration, like the one active in 2025, shares a post office box with Bold Majority PAC.

Less than two weeks before the April 7th Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, the group reported spending over $2,900 for texting, emails, and event staffing to suppot Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor. The Dane County-based Taylor, a former Democratic state legislator, was running against fellow appeals court judge Maria Lazar, of Waukesha, a conservative, for an open seat on the high court. Taylor’s victory expanded liberal control on the officially nonpartisan seven-member court from four to five seats.

Nine days before the election, the group reported spending another $65,350 in the campaign, all $350 of that going towards phone calls.

A week before the election, it reported spending $33 for event staffing.

Two days before the election, For Our Future reported spending nearly $2,000 for texting in the high court race. The evening before election day, it reported spending $100 for event staffing.

The day after the April 7th election, it reported it had spent $7,280 on phone calls just two days before election day. The next day it reported about another $238 for email and event staffing. Three days after the election, it reported it had spent over $5,000 for texting on election day.

Last active election: 2025

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.