5 Of The Biggest Outside Spenders In WI's 2022 Fall Election: Report

WISCONSIN — Special interest groups poured a new record amount of cash into Wisconsin's 2022 elections for the state legislature, governor and beyond, according to a report released Monday by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

At $93 million in outside spending this year, the previous record set in 2018 was shattered by 50 percent, the non-profit watchdog group wrote in a news release. The new record is nearly five times the one set in 2010, the group said. The group said it considered the numbers preliminary, and didn't include spending in races for U.S. Congress.

A steep majority of all that cash — just under $79 million — was spend on the race for governor, the group wrote. Much of that money was spent to praise and smear candidates. Over $48 million came from 35 groups in benefit of Republicans, while $44 million filtered to Democrats from 36 groups. One group spent $686,000 for an independent candidate, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Several groups, however, reigned above others. Here are the groups that The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimated spent the most:

• The Democratic Governors Association put around $20 million into the Alliance for Common Sense which aired ads attacking the Republican candidate for governor, Tim Michels, on education, abortion, guns plus sexual harassment complaints at his construction company.
• The Republican Governors Association put just over $15 million into three different groups that aired ads attacking Democrat Tony Evers on crime and tax issues.
• A Better Wisconsin spend around $6.8 million advertising in 23 legislative races for Democratic candidates.
• Americans for Prosperity spent around $6.5 million on mailings, canvassing, door hangers and ads to support Republican statewide and legislative candidates.
• Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commers put in around $4.5 million with much of its ad spending backing Republicans. WDC said the group spend around $25,000 on an ad supporting Rebecca Klefisch before she lost to Michels in the August Republican primary.

You can find a full table breaking down the different spending by each electioneering group as tracked by the Wisconsin Democracy Project on the non-profit's website.