New campaign finance filings for Wisconsin state legislative races show Republicans leading Democrats in fundraising. Between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, Republican candidates outraised Democratic candidates by 81 percent.
Heading into the primary elections, seven Republican candidates raised $202,189 compared to $85,234 raised by four Democrats.
In the Democratic party, the top fundraisers in the most recent reporting period were:
- Mark Scheffler (State Senate, District 19) – $34,195
- Tripp Stroud (State Senate, District 17) – $26,400
- Karen Mischel (State Assembly, District 96) – $13,269
- Dianne Hesselbein (State Senate, District 27) – $11,370
In the Republican party, the top fundraisers in the most recent reporting period were:
- Howard Marklein (State Senate, District 17) – $83,863
- Romaine Quinn (State Senate, District 25) – $45,046
- Chris Kapenga (State Senate, District 33) – $37,055
- Andre Jacque (State Senate, District 1) – $20,096
- Stephen Nass (State Senate, District 11) – $9,915
The candidates who raised the most money were incumbent Howard Marklein (R) in Senate District 17 ($83,863), Romaine Quinn (R) in Senate District 25 ($45,046), and incumbent Chris Kapenga (R) in Senate District 33 ($37,055).
State legislative primary elections are held on August 9, 2022. In some cases, party nominees may be chosen earlier.
Republicans have a 21-12 majority in the Wisconsin State Senate and a 61-38 majority in the Wisconsin State House.
Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how much and how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political parties may contribute to campaigns. All campaign financial transactions must be made through the candidate’s committee. Campaign committees are required to file regular campaign finance disclosure reports with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.
This article was published in partnership with Transparency USA. Click here to learn more about that partnership.
Learn More
