Spending by special interest groups in Wisconsin's 2022 midterm elections cracked the previous record by 50 percent, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is a Madison-based nonprofit dedicated to tracking money in politics and fighting for campaign finance reform.
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign tracked a total of $93.01 million spent during the Wisconsin midterms by outside groups. That's about $30 million more than the previous record of $61.86 million set in 2018.
The figures only apply to statewide races like governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and treasurer. These totals do not include spending in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate races in Wisconsin.
According to the report, 35 groups spent $48.25 million to benefit Republicans, 36 groups spent $44.06 million to benefit Democrats, and one group spent $686,660 to benefit the independent candidate for governor, Joan Ellis Beglinger (Beglinger dropped out of the race before the midterms but was still on the ballot).
Who are the top spenders from out of state?
Groups dedicated to helping governors win elections for their respective parties dominated spending in Wisconsin.
The top spender was the Democratic Governors Association, which spent $20.1 million. The study found that money was used to pay for attack ads against Republican candidate Tim Michels.
The Republican Governors Association came in second in spending, with a total of $15.3 million. That money was also used mostly on attack ads against Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
A Better Wisconsin Together, Americans for Prosperity and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce also contributed millions to Wisconsin's statewide races.
View some of the data from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign below:
Spending by Electioneering Groups in the 2022 Fall Elections - Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
| Group | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alliance for Common Sense (Democratic Governors Association)* | $20,150,000 |
| Right Direction Wisconsin PAC (Republican Governors Association) | $9,293,038 |
| A Better Wisconsin Together** | $6,794,866 |
| Americans for Prosperity | $6,531,490 |
| Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce** | $4,524,998 |
| Fighting for Wisconsin | $4,378,114 |
| ACC Wisconsin 2022 PAC (Republican Governors Association) | $4,025,754 |
| Wisconsin Conservation Voters IE Committee | $3,818,779 |
| Club for Growth Action | $3,552,571 |
| Future Forward USA Action* | $3,400,000 |
| Wisconsin Freedom PAC (Republican Attorneys General Association) | $3,114,213 |
| Freedom Wisconsin PAC | $2,564,000 |
| State Solutions (Republican Governors Association)* | $2,000,000 |
| DAGA People’s Lawyer Project (Democratic Attorneys General Association) | $1,899,564 |
| Sunrise in America Political Fund | $1,866,844 |
| The Wisconsin Initiative* | $1,700,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Political Fund | $1,316,721 |
| Republican Accountability PAC | $992,584 |
| Restoration PAC | $935,000 |
| Wisconsin RINO Hunters | $686,660 |
| American Federation for Children IE Committee | $678,995 |
| Wisconsin Alliance for Reform* | $600,000 |
| Jobs First Coalition Political Fund | $529,201 |
| Voces de la Frontera Action | $463,892 |
| National Rifle Association (NRA) Political Victory Fund | $423,653 |
| Badger Values PAC | $407,483 |
| Wisconsinites for Liberty Fund | $407,279 |
| For Our Future | $390,595 |
| Power to the Polls Wisconsin | $389,443 |
| Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Wisconsin State Council | $379,647 |
| WFP National PAC (Work Families Party) | $334,575 |
| Women Speak Out PAC | $322,872 |
| Wisconsin Realtors Political Fund | $320,000 |
| Family Friendly Action PAC | $290,412 |
| Republican State Leadership Committee | $284,192 |
| Project Democracy | $278,650 |
| The Lincoln Project | $254,450 |
| American Principles Project PAC | $227,428 |
| Wisconsin Family Action | $225,875 |
| Election Integrity PAC | $208,344 |
| Speak Free or Die | $155,000 |
| Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) PAC | $141,688 |
| BlackPAC | $136,045 |
| Make Liberty Win | $135,491 |
| New Prosperity Foundation | $111,964 |
| Working America | $109,190 |
| Empower Wisconsin* | $100,000 |
| American Majority Action | $94,736 |
| Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes PAC | $93,626 |
| American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Working Families Fund | $92,585 |
| New Prosperity Foundation IE Committee | $85,500 |
| Volunteers for Agriculture (Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation) | $84,058 |
| National Nurses United for Patient Protection | $69,427 |
| WorkMoney Inc. | $68,939 |
| Free and Fair Elections USA | $67,740 |
| Blue Sky Waukesha | $61,215 |
| Community Change Voters | $61,149 |
| NextGen Climate Action Committee | $60,228 |
| Leaders Igniting Transformation Action Fund | $56,167 |
| Patriots for Wisconsin | $49,983 |
| SEIU Committee on Political Education | $49,606 |
| Citizens Action of Wisconsin | $45,691 |
| Progress North | $44,331 |
| AFT-Wisconsin (American Federation of Teachers) | $18,612 |
| Rise, Inc. | $15,373 |
| Organizing Empowerment PAC | $14,000 |
| Rising Leaders PAC | $10,000 |
| Democratic Party of Wisconsin | $5,560 |
| Gun Rights America | $4,701 |
| Wisconsin Right to Life PAC | $1,360 |
| TOTAL | $93,006,147 |