If Republicans flip the seat, they would have a 2/3 majority in the state Senate, bringing them one step closer to overriding a Democratic governor’s veto.

By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT

In the struggle for the retiring state Sen. Janet Bewley’s seat in northwestern Wisconsin, former state Assembly representative Romaine Quinn, a Republican, has outraised Democratic candidate Kelly Westlund by about $140,000, according to the Follow the Money database, which collects campaign finance data reported to the state of Wisconsin.

Quinn has raised about $380,000 compared to Westlund’s $240,000.

Both candidates for the 25th State Senate District seat can and likely will raise more money in the remaining days before the election.

Quinn received two $60,000 donations from the state Republican party on Oct. 28 and Nov. 1 to give him cash for the final few days.

Democrats are likely to respond, but Westlund had not reported to the state any last-minute cash infusions as of Friday.

Republicans hope to flip the seat in their quest to secure a veto-proof majority over the governor in the state legislature. The party needs ⅔ of seats in both houses to do so. The GOP is close right now, needing to flip five seats in the state Assembly and just one in the state Senate.

Quinn, who lives in Cameron, was elected to the state Assembly in 2014, and won three 2-year terms before leaving in 2020. Westlund is a small-business owner who lives in Ashland.

Individuals and political action committees can give a maximum of $2,000 to a candidate for state Senate. But political parties can accept an unlimited amount of campaign cash, and can donate an unlimited amount to candidates, due to a loophole in state campaign finance law.

The Wisconsin Republican Party has given Quinn more than $125,000. The state Democratic party has given Westlund more than $40,000.

Prominent donors to Quinn who gave him the maximum include the Tavern League of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau. The political action committees of Alliant Energy, the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe, Koch Industries and Walmart have all given him $1,000.

Alisa Von Hagel, a political science professor at the UW-Superior, noted that Quinn’s fundraising has been helped by the fact that he held office in the state Assembly from 2015-2020.

“During this time, he had ample opportunity to build relationships with legislative colleagues, those in Republican party leadership, and donors in the surrounding community,” she said. “For example, many of his Republican legislative colleagues can be found in his donor list for this election cycle. This time in office allows him to take advantage of previously formed relationships, aiding his overall fundraising efforts.”

Prominent donors to Westlund who gave the maximum include the political action committees of many labor unions including the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers. Karla Jurvetson, a wealthy liberal donor from California and Lynde Uihlein, a Schlitz heir and philanthropist from Milwaukee, each gave Westlund the maximum $2,000.

Regarding Westlund lagging behind in fundraising, Von Hagel noted that the party of the president usually takes a hit – both at the national level, and within states.

The top 100 donors to Romaine Quinn, Republican

The top 100 donors to Kelly Westlund, Democrat

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.