GOP Not Backing Republican Legislator

Alex Renard and Andre Jacque

The state Republican Party is backing a newcomer over a GOP Assembly lawmaker in next week’s primary for a special election in the 1st Senate District.

Recent campaign finance reports show Alex Renard, a manager at his family-owned Renco Machine Co. in Green Bay, received about $34,400 in in-kind contributions last month from the state GOP. Renard faces Rep. Andre Jacque, of De Pere, in a May 15 primary. Jacque, who has been elected to two-year terms to the Assembly since 2010, has not received any party contributions in his bid for the Senate seat.

The primary winner will square off against Democrat Caleb Frostman in the June 12 general election. A special election to fill the seat was called late last year after former Republican Sen. Frank Lasee resigned to take another job with the state.

The party’s in-kind contribution was for mailings to support Renard, who had spent nearly four times more than Jacque on the election through May. Renard has raised $146,560 and has spent $112,770, compared to Jacque, who has raised $52,290 and has spent $27,935 on the race through May 1. Frostman, who does not face a primary challenge, raised about $63,900 and spent $5,735.

Renard, 24, donated $75,000 to his own campaign. Five other Renard family members gave $2,000 each to his campaign. Renard also got seven $500 contributions from employees of the Miron Co.

For more information about the individual and committee contributions to the candidates, go here and click on their names.