As the dust settles from Tuesday’s primaries, today’s Key Reads focus on two stories. One, has been a long time in the making. The other, is an emerging story that could play out over the next few weeks and could impact the national Presidential contest.
There is no disputing the fact that the Democratic Party of Wisconsin is running circles around their Republican counterparts when it comes to raising money. This is not a new phenomenon. But the discrepancy between the financial health of the two organizations has never been greater.
The ramifications of the fundraising gap played out this week as two GOP-supported constitutional amendments were resoundingly rejected. Democrats and their allies spent more than $3 million in a coordinated effort to defeat the measures, while two right-leaning think tanks mustered a quarter million dollars to advocate for their passage. The State GOP had no money to spare.
This story examines the problem, and notes some in the GOP do not think the fundraising issues will impact efforts this fall.
Wisconsin primary: What Democrats, Republicans make of results | Fox 6
To date, Democrats have outpaced Republicans in fundraising, and their spending for Tuesday’s primary elections was not even close. It was a quiz, so to speak, ahead of the finals in November – a preview battle in the war for Wisconsin‘s votes.
…”Last night is a huge demonstration, it’s a big canary in the coalmine, I think, for people for how much money is coming in,” said Brian Reisinger, a former Republican campaign strategist. “For anybody who was unhappy with last night’s result, it’s a really big warning sign about what to be ready for in the fall.”
…”The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is very organized. There’s a huge grassroots operation, there’s a well-funded media operation. They’re able to raise lots of money. They’re able to engage and excite voters,” said Sachin Chheda, a Democratic strategist.
…”The results of the referenda do not change the fundamentals of the race in Wisconsin one iota, not at all,” said Brian Schimming, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “The referendum was not about the presidential race, it was not about the U.S. Senate race, it was not about the legislative races. It was about a referenda…”
Brian Fraley, a Republican strategist, said the fundraising discrepancy between the two major parties is an ominous sign for Wisconsin Republicans.
“Wisconsin Democrats have raised tens of millions from out-of-state donors, in sums large and small. National Republicans in deep blue states have not invested in campaigns here,” he said. “(The Republican Party of Wisconsin) must devote a lot more time and effort to fundraising here and across the country. It should be the party’s main focus.
“In an ideal world, the candidates and their staff do all the work on the ground. The party raises money and invests in infrastructure that helps all their candidates.”
Our second story previews another major asset for State Democrats: The activist State Supreme Court. A look into our crystal ball suggests Democrats’ ballot access complaints could soon be before the State Supreme Court, which could bar left-leaning third party Presidential candidates from the Wisconsin ballot this fall. That could help the Harris-Walz Democratic ticket win a narrow victory in this crucial swing state. A win in Wisconsin could be enough to tilt the Electoral College in their favor.
As the AP reports:
An employee of the Democratic National Committee filed a complaint Wednesday seeking to remove the Green Party’s presidential candidate from the ballot in Wisconsin, arguing that the party is ineligible.
It’s the latest move by the DNC to block third-party candidates from the ballot. Democrats are also seeking to stop independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in several states.
The Green Party’s appearance on the presidential ballot could make a difference in swing state Wisconsin, where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by between 5,700 votes and about 23,000 votes…
…The latest Marquette University Law School poll conducted July 24 through Aug. 1 showed the presidential contest in Wisconsin between Democrat Kamala Harris and Trump to be about even among likely voters. Stein barely registered, with about 1% support, while Kennedy had 6%.
Here are some links to other important news stories from around the state. We’ll be back with more Key Reads on Friday.
Microsoft buys more land in Racine County near data center project | WPR
Molson Coors stages exit from the craft beer industry | Axios
Tyler Van Dyke wins Wisconsin starting QB job after Miami transfer | ESPN
