Outside Money Jumps Into Crowded Wisconsin Democratic Governor Primary

Examples of campaign ad disclosures in the Wisconsin governor’s race. Screenshots from campaign ads

Outside groups are spending money in the Democratic primary for governor, as candidates struggle to stand out in a crowded field.

One group, the Wisconsin Forward Fund, is backing Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. Another, Wisconsin Future Rising, is backing Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Both are planning six-figure television ad buys in the major markets of Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay.

Neither group is prominent. In fact, they’re not yet registered in the state’s tracker of political action groups. Both have sparse social media presences launched relatively recently.

But the money they’re spending is nothing to sneeze at — and could be a saving grace for two candidates with relatively low name recognition, heading into a summer when candidates need to stand out in time for an August primary.

The push comes at a time when many voters are looking to disconnect from politics, said Anthony Chergosky, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

“One of the defining features of this campaign in the Democratic Party, so far, has been the general lack of awareness among voters of the candidates, and of — in many situations — just the existence of the campaign itself,” Chergosky said.

The seven major candidates on the Democratic side — and a few others considered much longer shots — all occupy a small sliver of voter attention. The vast majority of likely Democratic voters are undecided, according to recent polling. Only two rank in double digits among Democrats who’ve said they’ve made up their mind about who to support in the primary.

So for candidates like Crowley and Rodriguez — viable, but with lower name recognition — a spending boost from a political action committee could make a big difference, said Chergosky.

“The outside money is really important in a crowded field like this, because it’s going to take resources to stand out with so many competitors,” he said.

On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the candidate endorsed by the state party, has been able to raise more money without a competitive primary opponent. Tiffany began running TV ads in April.

Outside groups can spend lots of money on a candidate without being subject to the same disclosure laws as the campaigns themselves. That provides a powerful money boost while small donations to campaigns may be trickling in, and are capped by state law. It also lets wealthier individuals throw their weight behind a given candidate without being directly tied to them.

One of the most significant war chests in state politics is on ice for now. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, a fundraising behemoth, won’t endorse until the primary is over in early August. State law lets parties accept unlimited donations and transfer unlimited money to a campaign, so all that money is awaiting one primary victor.

In the meantime, Chergosky said, any candidate vying seriously to be that August winner needs to establish statewide name recognition and navigate the summer voter slump.

“This has been a sleepy campaign so far,” he said, “and it’s going to take money and a skilled candidate to engage voters.”

Ad spending starts in crowded Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.