Two national groups that raise and spend unlimited amounts to elect Republican and Democratic governors across the country raised nearly $2 million from Wisconsin contributors in 18 months.
Despite speculation for several months about Republican candidates having the momentum going into the 2022 fall elections, Badger State contributors gave more to the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) than the Republican Governors Association (RGA) during the first 18 months of the 2022 election cycle.
Fundraising and spending reports filed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service show the Democratic Governors Association raised $1.06 million from Wisconsin contributors between January 2021 and June 2022. The Republican Governors Association raised $890,578 from Wisconsin contributors.
But overall, the RGA raised $119.9 million and the DGA raised $111.7 million from all contributors across the country between January 2021 and June 2022. There are currently 28 Republican governors and 22 Democratic governors in the U.S. In 2022, 36 seats for governor face elections.
The DGA and the RGA operate as 527 groups, which are named for the IRS rules that govern them. 527 groups can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from any source to spend on elections. The contributors to these groups from Wisconsin include individuals, businesses, tribes, and trade associations.
Both the RGA and the DGA have sponsored millions of dollars in electioneering activities in past Wisconsin elections for governor, making them both among the top outside election spenders in the state. The RGA spent $29.5 million and the DGA spent $13.49 million in Wisconsin between 2010 and 2018. Both groups spent heavily on broadcast advertising to smear the opposing party’s candidate.
Here are the top Wisconsin contributors to the Democratic Governors Association from January 2021 through June 2022:
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, $500,000;
U.S. Venture, of Appleton, $100,000;
Johnson Controls, of Milwaukee, $75,000;
Alliance of Health Insurers, of Madison, $50,000;
Direct Supply Inc., of Milwaukee, $50,000;
American Transmission Co., of Waukesha, $50,000;
Ho-Chunk Nation, of Black River Falls, $50,000;
Molson Coors, of Milwaukee, $50,000;
Navitus Health Solutions, of Madison, $25,000;
Laura Peracchio, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor, $20,000.
Here are the top Wisconsin contributors to the Republican Governors Association from January 2021 through June 2022:
Robert D. Kern Private Revocable Trust, of Waukesha, $250,000;
Charter Communications, of St. Louis, MO, $175,000;
Matt Neumann, of Hartland, chief executive officer of the Neumann Companies, $105,000;
Kwik Trip, of La Crosse, $100,000;
Johnson Controls, of Milwaukee, $50,450;
Fred Young, of Racine, retired owner of Young Radiator, $50,000;
Ted Kellner, of Mequon, retired founder of Fiduciary Management, $35,000;
Alliant Energy, of Madison, $25,450;
Navitus Health Solutions, of Madison, $25,000;
Richard Uihlein, of Lake Bluff, IL, co-founder of Uline, $25,000;
Molson Coors, of Milwaukee, $25,000.
