Scott Walker raises millions more in 2018 than Democratic challengers

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker heads into the final months of his campaign for a third term raising millions more than any of his Democratic opponents brought in during the first half of 2018.

Walker raised $5.5 million during the past six months, while none of his challengers who had reported fundraising totals as of Monday evening broke $1 million raised in the same time period.

While Walker again proved the strength of his donor base, he raised $2.8 million less than what was raised during the first half of 2014 when he was gearing up for a race against former Trek Bicycle executive and Madison School Board member Mary Burke.

Meanwhile, five of Walker's eight Democratic challengers filed fundraising reports as of Monday evening:

Liberal activist Mike McCabe raised more than $156,000 in the first half of 2018.
Former Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman Matt Flynn raised $337,058 in the same time frame, which included a $100,000 loan Flynn gave his campaign the day the reporting period ended.
Former state Rep. Kelda Roys raised $676,927, which included $255,000 Roys gave herself on June 30. Roys has given a total of $353,697 to her campaign since entering the race.
Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) reported raising $89,800.
And Madison Mayor Paul Soglin raised $115,765, according to the reports filed Monday evening.

Reports are due 11:59 p.m. Monday.

Mahlon Mitchell, president of Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, said in a statement he had raised $840,000 since entering the race in 2017 but did not detail how much of that was raised in the first six months of 2018.

State Schools Superintendent Tony Evers, who led the pack in the most recent Marquette University Law School poll, and corporate attorney Josh Pade did not respond to requests for fundraising figures and had not filed reports as of Monday evening.

The fundraising figures will show who is best equipped to put TV ads on the air in the coming weeks.

The Democrats are not well known and an advertising campaign could prove crucial in winning the nomination. Roys last week said she would be on the air "very shortly."

Walker is expected to vastly outperform his Democratic rivals when it comes to fundraising. He has raised more than $20 million since he was re-elected in 2014.

Attorney general's race

GOP Attorney General Brad Schimel reported he raised $671,092 in the past six months — a haul buoyed by $19,500 from billionaire Diane Hendricks of Beloit. He had $1.1 million in his account as of the end of June.

His opponent, Josh Kaul, a former federal prosecutor and son of former Democratic Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, has raised $590,635 in that time, and has $679,422 on hand as of June 30.

Kaul's campaign also reports he has raised more than $1 million overall — which is about $153,000 more than Schimel's 2014 challenger, Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ, raised during her entire campaign, according to finance reports.

Schimel is seeking a second term at a time when Democrats and Kaul are using Schimel’s efforts to identify and test evidence related to sexual assaults against him — arguing he has moved too slowly in testing the sexual assault evidence kits that had been sitting in hospitals and law enforcement departments across the state for decades.

The Republican Attorneys General Association, which this week released ads seeking to blunt the criticism, gave Schimel $44,000 in the last six months, according to his report.

Schimel also reported donating about $1,500 to the Special Olympics, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s jobs initiative The Joseph Project and Secure Community Network, which works to fight anti-Semitism and violence against Jewish people.

The money was donated using two donations totaling $1,500 made in 2014 and 2015 by Republican Paul Nehlen, who is running for U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan's congressional seat. Nehlen has made racist and anti-Semitic comments, drawing heavy criticism from Republicans and prompting the state party to reject any association with Nehlen.

Supreme Court race

State appeals court Chief Judge Lisa Neubauer raised more than $358,000 in her bid to join the state Supreme Court next year, including $250,000 of her own money, her filing showed.

Neubauer is the only candidate to announce a run for the high court since Justice Shirley Abrahamson announced she would not seek another term.

State treasurer's race

Eau Claire businesswoman and Democratic candidate for state treasurer Sarah Godlewski raised nearly $240,000 over the past six months, although that includes a $150,000 loan from herself.

Godlewski spent almost $24,000 over that same period giving her $216,000 on hand.

Candidates from both parties are seeking the position, with incumbent Republican Matt Adamczyk deciding to run for representative of the 14th Assembly District.

If elected, Godlewski has proposed using the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, on which the state treasurer sits, to help people refinance their student loans. The idea has been met with criticism from other candidates who believe that's not the purpose of the board, which oversees a $1.1 billion fund.

The combined total of the other candidates who have filed finance reports is more than $20,000.

Democrat Cynthia Kaump, former communications director for the state treasurer's office, raised $16,000 while Republican Jill Millies raised more than $4,000.

Republican candidate Travis Hartwig and Democratic candidate Dawn Marie Sass had not filed their reports as of Monday afternoon.

Hartwig was fired earlier this month from his job at U.S. Bank after the company told him his candidacy would be a conflict of interest for the company. U.S. Bank is seeking a contract with the state that could result in $10 million worth of business.

Max Bayer of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.