21st District Race Leads Senate Recall Spending
Nearly $3 million was spent in heated race between John Lehman and Van Wanggaard.
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It will come as a surprise to no one to learn that there was a lot of big money spent in the Wisconsin recall elections.
Between the 15 races from both 2011 and 2012, a total of $137 million was spent and while there was big money involved in the recall of Gov. Scott Walker, when it comes to the senate races, the 21st Senate District involved the biggest dollars.
According to a story from the Associated Press in The Journal Times, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign released a report detailing the money that went into the recalls, and the amounts are staggering.
Among the Senate races from both 2011 and 2012, the one that targeted Republican Van Wanggaard generated the most money at $2.9 million. Sen. John Lehman — he was declared the winner by 819 votes after a recount and Wanggaard declined to challenge — and supporters raised $1.8 million, compared to Wanggaard and his supporters' $1.1 million.
But outside groups spent the lion's share at $2.3 million, compared to a combined total from the candidates at about $634,000. The biggest chunk of that came from the Greater Wisconsin Committee, a liberal group that supported Lehman, and Planned Parenthood.
Statewide, of course, the gubernatorial race churned up the most cash with about $81 million spent.
Some Walker's supporters came with big money, but his campaign also said that more than 75 percent of donations were $50 or less. His biggest contributor was the Republican Governors Association with $9.4 million.
In total, Walker and his supporters put out more than $58 million while Barrett and his supporters spent more than $22 million. Barrett's biggest contributor was the Greater Wisconsin Committee, which gave $6.7 million to his campaign.
James R Hoffa
6:13 pm on Thursday, July 26, 2012
What, a liberal tax and spend Democrat out raised and outspent a Republican?!?! On both the direct and indirect fronts?!?! By nearly a 2:1 margin?!?!
How can this be??? I thought that Citizens United gave the money advantage to the Republicans every time - at least that's what MS-NBC told me!
Can we finally drop the Citizens United conspiracy theories?
Heather Asiyanbi
7:33 am on Friday, July 27, 2012
@Hoffa - the report lists total Republican spending as outpacing that of Democrats overall, but since the 21st District matters most to us here, we focused the story on that aspect.
James R Hoffa
8:42 am on Friday, July 27, 2012
@Heather A -
Yeah, Hoffa got that. Fully explainable in that the Dems overall failed to put up any inspiring candidates and most people/groups supporting the recalls didn't feel like throwing their money away on a lost cause. Proved in the fact that many recallers spent more by and in support of Falk in the Dem primary than Barrett and his supporters spent in the general!
It also must be noted that the 'ground game' invested in these recalls by the unions is not subject to finance reporting laws. A big factor to consider when the first five local/crowd guests interviewed on the special live remote edition of the Ed Show on election night were all members of out-of-state union locals that were in Wisconsin simply for the 'get-out-the-vote' effort. Last Hoffa checked, travel, room, board, food, etc isn't free!
From everything I've been hearing about Citizens United from the left though, Lehman shouldn't have been able to out-raise and out-spend Wanggaard. Same for Elizabeth Warren in her race against incumbent Scott Brown over in MA. Not to mention the incumbent RUSD school board members against our very own Brian Dey and others. There are also countless other examples that you never hear mentioned by the Citizens United conspiracy theory crowd.
Hoffa's point is that the money game isn't as skewed as the pundits and devoted would have people believe. And Lehman's financial performance in the recall election is an example in support of that point.
conservachick
7:53 pm on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Who funds Greater Wisconsin? Looks like a good number of DC addresses.
I did a donor search. You'll recognize many names.
http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail_donors.php?cycle=2012&ein=204668584
Richard Head
6:31 am on Friday, July 27, 2012
Leading in spending.... the election was financed by private money. Now we have "tax our way to prosperity" John Lehman in charge again. Another disaster! The only private property rights John Lehman respects is his own - and all his gains were earned by others in the private sector, in private business, which he takes through the power and force of the State.
What John Lehman refused to do in Vietnam, destroy lives and property, he does to his fellow Americans in Wisconsin. No greater traitor than John Lehman.
dsaff
7:00 am on Friday, July 27, 2012
Hey Dick