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Friday, Feb. 17, 2023

Is advertising spending on liberal and conservative candidates in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election roughly equal?


yes

Some $3.5 million has been spent supporting liberal candidates and $3.4 million supporting conservative candidates in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

That’s according to a report by media tracking firm AdImpact on Feb. 14, 2023, seven days before the primary election.

Four candidates are running in the primary. The two with the most votes will compete in the April 4 spring election.

Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow and Daniel Kelly, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, are the conservatives. Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell and Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz are the liberals.

Total spending — by the candidates and outside groups, for advertising, mailings and other purposes — surpassed $10 million in the 2020 Supreme Court election, according to the nonprofit Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks campaign spending.

That was a record for a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, exceeding $8.2 million spent in the 2019 race, the group said.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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