MADISON, WI — In recent days, financial filings and public TV reservations show that Wisconsin Republicans and The Committee to Elect a Republican Senate (CERS) have moved significant amounts of money out of State Senate districts generally understood to be competitive battleground districts to defend historically safe Republican seats.
This week, Senate GOP pulled over $160,000 from Jim Croft’s campaign in the 21st district, which Democrats won by less than 2% in 2024. Instead, they’re using that money to defend the 9th district, which has no Democrat on the ballot and Trump carried by 15 points in the last election.
In Northern Wisconsin’s 25th Senate District, Republicans and their allies have spent nearly a million dollars to defend a seat Trump won by 12 points. The Senate battleground has moved to districts Republicans have taken for granted, making it clear they’ve accepted the incoming Democratic majority and are simply trying to stop the bleeding.
SSDC Executive Director Andrew Whitley, on Republican panic and their investments in historically safe seats:
“For two years the Wisconsin Senate has been the most flippable chamber in the country, and we’re just 5 days away from winning the first Democratic majority in over 15 years. The battleground map has expanded to include districts Democrats haven’t won in decades because Wisconsin voters are tired of the Republican legislature driving up costs and failing to make progress for the people of our state.
The panic we’re seeing from Republicans is certainly justified, as our numbers show the districts they’ve taken for granted, the 9th and 25th, are the real toss-ups, while Democratic candidates hold commanding leads in the 5th, 17th, 21st, and 31st.”
