GOP legislative candidates in Wisconsin outraise Democrats

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans running for the Wisconsin Legislature easily raised more money than their Democratic opponents over the first half of the year, according to a report released Tuesday.

Government watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analyzed campaign finance reports covering the first six months of 2022.

The group found that Republican candidate committees and the two GOP-led legislative committees — the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee and the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate — raised $4.36 million.

Democratic candidate committees and the party’s two legislative committees — the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee and the State Senate Democratic Committee — raised $3.11 million.

Total fundraising by all committees rang in at $7.47 million, eclipsing the previous six-month fundraising record of $7.12 million set during the first half of 2020.

Republicans go into the fall elections with a commanding majority in both the Assembly and Senate. The GOP almost certainly will maintain control of both houses thanks largely to gerrymandered district boundaries.