Unions, GOP Give $300,000 in High Court Race

Lisa Neubauer and Brian Hagedorn.

Labor union political action committees (PACs) and state and local Republican Party committees contributed about $300,000 since early February to the two candidates who will face off in next Tuesday’s election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Appeals Judge Lisa Neubauer faces fellow Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn on the April 2 ballot. Even though the race is billed as nonpartisan, Neubauer has drawn support from traditionally Democratic campaign contributors and groups, and Hagedorn has drawn support from traditionally Republican campaign contributors and groups.

The latest campaign finance reports filed Monday showed Neubauer raised about $915,000 since Feb. 5, including about $172,000 from labor unions and campaign committees for current and former Democratic candidates.

Six labor PACs contributed $18,000 each to Neubauer since Feb. 5. They were:

Operating Engineers Local 139

Wisconsin Carpenters PAC

United Auto Workers Wisconsin

American Federation of Teachers

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494

Democrat Republican Independent Voter Education (DRIVE), which is run by the Teamsters Union.

Campaign finance reports filed Monday by Hagedorn’s campaign showed he raised about $844,600 since Feb. 5, including about $128,200 from Republican Party committees and campaign committees for current and former Republican candidates. The top party committee contributors were:

Republican Party of Wisconsin, about $108,170

Waukesha County Republican Party, about $5,350

First Congressional District Republican Party of Wisconsin, $2,500

Republican Party of Walworth County, about $2,130

Republican Party of Eau Claire County, about $1,200