Campaign Arms Race Instensifies

Fundraising, War Chests Up 60% For 2000 Elections

February 7, 2000

Madison - Voters turned off by negative advertising and runaway campaign spending in the 1998 election are in for a much larger dose in 2000, due to a staggering increase in legislative fundraising, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reported today.

Wisconsin legislators collectively raised $1.4 million in the last six months of 1999, about 61 percent more than the $860,766 that they raised in the last half of 1997. They ended 1999 with campaign fund balances that totaled $3 million, about 60 percent more than the $1.9 million that they had going into the 1998 election year.

"The sheer amount raised by legislators is obscene, but what’s even worse is that they raised much of this money while they were putting together the state budget, creating the widespread impression that the budget was for sale," said WDC executive director Gail Shea.

And with the election nine months away, much more will be raised. Legislative candidates and legislative campaign committees have held or scheduled at least 21 fundraisers so far this year.

In addition to individual candidate committees, legislative leaders raised another $349,318 for their legislative campaign committees. These LCCs receive money directly from special interests and provide hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of contributions, loans and services to the candidates of their choosing with little accountability to the state or the political parties.

"Comprehensive campaign reform would address these abuses of big money politics," Shea said. "One look at the fundraising figures and you know why legislative leaders are blocking reform. Money flows to power. Those in charge of the legislature aren’t interested in turning off the spigot because they benefit big time."

Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, raised more money in the second six months of 1999 than any other state representative - nearly $97,000. He also had the largest year-end cash balance of any legislator in the Assembly or Senate - more than $210,000. Jensen is a magnet for special interest contributions because he controls the fate of legislative proposals in the Assembly and he is a possible Republican candidate for governor in 2002.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Chvala, D-Madison, who determines which proposals will be passed by the Senate, raised the largest amount of money among senators in the second half of 1999 - more than $64,000.

Republican Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills raised the most of any Republican senator - $61,622. Former Senate Minority Leader Michael Ellis, R-Neenah, had more than $167,000 in his campaign fund at the end of 1999, the most of any state senator. Sen. Brian Burke of Milwaukee, who is co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee, had the largest year-end cash balance of any Democratic senator - more than $134,000.

For Assembly Democrats, Rep. Spencer Black of Madison, had the largest year-end cash balance - $119,863, There was no Democrat among the top five fundraisers in the Assembly. Rep. Sheldon Wasserman of Milwaukee raised the most money among the Assembly Democrats - more than $24,000.

"These huge war chests are amassed to scare off potential challengers," said Shea. "Challengers see the cash that incumbents have on hand and realize it will be next to impossible to dig themselves out of the hole. So voters are left with fewer choices on the ballot."

A comparison of Republican and Democratic fundraising and war chests shows that the two parties were almost equally matched in the Senate. However, Republicans in the Assembly raised more than three times as much as Democrats, and their total cash on hand was more than double that of Democrats.

Two legislators failed to meet the Jan. 31 deadline to file year-end campaign finance reports, Sen. Kimberly Plache* and Republican Rep. Lorraine Seratti of Spread Eagle.

In addition to the legislators, three of the five constitutional officers also raised and saved healthy amounts by the end of 1999, even though they will not be up for reelection until 2002. They raised a total of $598,463 in the last six months of 1999 and had $1,008,694 in cash on hand. Gov. Tommy Thompson raised the most in the last six months of 1999 - more than $295,000, and he had the largest war chest - $418,717.

*As of the date of this release, the State Elections Board did not show Sen. Plache as having filed her report. However, they subsequentially found her misfiled report, which had been filed on time.

Tables

Top Fundraisers - July 1, 1999 - December 31, 1999

Money Raised by Leadership Committees -- July 1, 1999 - December 31, 1999

Biggest War Chests as of December 31, 1999

Legislators
Cash on Hand 12/31/99

Legislators
Total Income July 1 through December 31, 1999