Liberal Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz continues to consolidate support among Dem donors ahead of the Feb. 21 primary as she again outraised her three rivals combined during the most recent reporting period.
Protasiewicz reported raising $725,333 between Jan. 1-Feb. 6, spending nearly $1.2 million and finishing the period with $276,625 in the bank.
By comparison, conservatives Jennifer Dorow and Daniel Kelly and liberal Everett Mitchell raised $535,602 during the five-week period. Dorow, a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge, accounted for $365,271 of that.
Protasiewicz, who has now raised $2 million for her campaign since getting into the race last year, listed five donations of $20,000, the maximum for an individual donor. That includes former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Milwaukee, and Gaye Pigott, of Seattle. Pigott also gave $230,000 to A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund, which has been running ads targeting Dorow.
Protasiewicz’s report also listed an $18,000 contribution from the WI Laborers District Council and a $23,500 in-kind donation from the state Dem Party for a poll. The party offered research it had available to both the Protasiewicz and Mitchell campaigns.
Of the $725,333 raised during this period, $293,898 came from out-of-state donors. That underscores the growing national interest in the race, which will determine ideological control of the court. She still raised more from Wisconsin donors than any of her rivals.
The top two primary finishers compete for a 10-year term in April.
See Protasiewicz’s cover sheet:
https://cfis.wi.gov/ReportsOutputFiles/0106639189fd7cf213202365206PMGAB2Report.pdf
Along with raising $365,271 during the period, Dorow spent $381,309 and had $267,133 in the bank.
She also listed $131,835 in incurred obligations.
Dorow listed a donation of $20,000 from Remi Harris, of Mequon.
Her report also listed a couple of possible typos for donors. For example, she listed a $10,000 donation from Juan Perez, of Milwaukee, and another $10,000 contribution from Juan Milwaukee, who listed the same address in Milwaukee as Juan Perez.
Her campaign also listed a $15,000 donation from Richard Kessler, retiree from Okauchee, and $5,000 from Robert Kessler, a retiree who listed the same address.
Dorow raised $15,673 from out-of-state donors.
See Dorow’s report:
https://cfis.wi.gov/ReportsOutputFiles/0106659189fd2a4213202351234PMCF-2Report.pdf
Kelly raised $100,169, spent $174,757 and had $201,966 in the bank to end the period.
His largest donation was $20,000 from Kim Hendricks, who is retired from ABC Supply Co. and is the daughter of Diane Hendricks.
His largest donation otherwise was $5,000 from De Pere retiree Thomas Howlett.
Mitchell raised $70,163, spent $21,598 and finished the period with $120,726 in the bank.
His largest donation was $5,000 from the campaign of fellow Dane County Circuit Court Judge Chris Taylor, who’s running unopposed for the appeals court.
See Kelly’s report:
https://cfis.wi.gov/ReportsOutputFiles/010589218972bf6213202341209PMCF-2Report.pdf
See Mitchell’s:
https://cfis.wi.gov/ReportsOutputFiles/0105679189a7b68213202331848PMCF-2Report.pdf
