Democratic Legislative Committees Spend Big

Cash. (CC0 Creative Commons).

Democratic legislative candidates raised about $1.9 million more than Republican candidates during the first eight months of the year, but GOP candidates had sharply more money in their campaign accounts two months before the November elections, recent campaign finance reports show.

Republican legislative candidates and their two legislative campaign committees had $8.4 million in the bank, compared to more than $6.1 million held by Democratic candidates as of Aug. 31.

Twenty-three legislative candidates and committees – 13 for Republicans and 10 for Democrats – had cash balances of more than $100,000 and five of them had $500,000 or more in the bank. The candidates and fundraising committees with the highest cash balances as of Aug. 31 were:

Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, $2,462,005

Committee to Elect a Republican Senate, $1,539,639 (includes regular state and corporate contribution accounts)

32nd Senate District Democratic candidate Brad Pfaff, of Onalaska, $814,671

Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee, $610,660 (includes regular state and corporate contribution accounts)

State Senate Democratic Committee, $537,974

The four legislative campaign committees, which routinely outraise and outspend individual candidates, are used by the Senate and Assembly Democratic and Republican legislative leaders to raise money from special interests to spend on elections.

The reports also showed Democratic legislative candidates and their two legislative campaign committees raised more than $8.3 million during the first eight months of the year compared to more than $6.4 million by Republicans. Twenty-four candidates and committees – 15 for Democrats and nine for Republicans – raised more than $100,000. Leading fundraisers between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 were:

Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, $2,007,126 (includes regular and corporate contributions)

Pfaff, $982,455

Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee, $924,538 (includes regular and corporate contributions)

Committee to Elect a Republican Senate, $864,901 (includes regular and corporate contributions)

State Senate Democratic Committee, $630,977 (includes regular and corporate contributions)

The next campaign finance reports from the candidates are due Oct. 26. The election is Nov. 3.