Wisconsin GOP megadonors outspend Democrats via campaign finance loophole

Republican megadonors are significantly outspending Democrats in the battle for the Wisconsin Legislature. Between January and September, conservative billionaire Elizabeth Uihlein contributed nearly $25 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party, while her husband Richard Uihlein provided approximately $16 million. Additionally, Diane Hendricks, chairwoman of ABC Supply Inc., has donated about $20 million to the party during the same period.

These large contributions are facilitated by a loophole in campaign finance laws following the 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, which ruled that annual caps on total political donations from individuals were unconstitutional. While Wisconsin maintains limits on donations directly to candidates, there are no limits on what political parties can receive. This allows donors to bypass individual candidate limits by giving massive sums to parties, which then distribute the funds to candidates for various offices, including state legislators.

In the fight for the Assembly, the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee raised roughly $6.2 million between July 1 and September 23, with $5.5 million coming from Diane Hendricks. The committee spent approximately $14.3 million during that period on media buys and campaign mail to support various GOP incumbents and candidates.