Kwik Trip owner Donald Zeitlow has given her campaign $10,000.
By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT
Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow has raised more than $400,000 so far in 2023 for her campaign for the open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, according to campaign finance reports.
She is lagging behind the fundraising leader Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, the left-wing candidate who has reported raising at least $1.8 million in her campaign so far and is actively running TV advertisements. Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, the other right-wing candidate in the race, reported raising more than $100,000 so far in 2023. Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell, the other left-wing candidate, has reported raising more than $70,000 in 2023 so far.
The candidates continue to raise funds, so these figures are rapidly growing.
Dorow has received $20,000 donations, the maximum allowed by state law, from Juan Perez of Milwaukee, Richard Kessler of Okauchee, and Remi Harris of Mequon. Kwik Trip owner Donald Zeitlow has also given her campaign $10,000.
Experts expect the 2023 election for Wisconsin Supreme Court to be extremely expensive and run in the tens of millions of dollars. While state law limits what people and political action committees can donate directly to candidates, wealthy individuals can donate unlimited amounts to groups like Super PACs, which can spend unlimited amounts in attacking and supporting candidates in broadcast and online advertisements, as long as they don’t coordinate with the candidates.
The primary election on Tuesday, Feb. 21 will cut the field of four candidates down to a final two, who will advance to the general in April.
Below is a list of top donors to Dorow’s campaign.
| DONOR | AMOUNT | OCCUPATION | CITY | STATE |
| Perez, Juan | $20,000 | OWNER | Milwaukee | Wisconsin |
| Kessler, Richard | $20,000 | RETIRED | Okauchee | Wisconsin |
| Harris, Remi | $20,000 | OWNER | Mequon | Wisconsin |
| Zietlow, Donald | $10,000 | Kwik Trip owner | La Crosse | Wisconsin |
| Shannon, Michael | $10,000 | EXECUTIVE | Denver | Colorado |
| Hallada, Frank | $10,000 | Auto Dealer | Dodgeville | Wisconsin |
| Gallun, Martin | $10,000 | EXECUTIVE | Oconomowoc | Wisconsin |
| Fettig, Robert | $10,000 | BUS. MANAGER | Lake Geneva | Wisconsin |
| Fedler, Jan | $10,000 | HOMEMAKER | Dodgeville | Wisconsin |
| Buholzer, Steven | $10,000 | EXECUTIVE | Monroe | Wisconsin |
| Buholzer, Ronald | $10,000 | EXECUTIVE | Monroe | Wisconsin |
| Buholzer, Glenda | $10,000 | HOMEMAKER | Monroe | Wisconsin |
| Trunzo, Robert | $5,000 | PRESIDENT & CEO | Brookfield | Wisconsin |
| Tierney, Joanne | $5,000 | FARMING | DeForest | Wisconsin |
| Strong, Richard | $5,000 | EXECUTIVE | Milwaukee | Wisconsin |
| Ritchie, Jon | $5,000 | VP | Cobb | Wisconsin |
| Pierce, William | $5,000 | OWNER | Reedsburg | Wisconsin |
| Meister, Scott | $5,000 | cheesemaker | Muscoda | Wisconsin |
| McCormick, Joseph | $5,000 | OWNER | Madison | Wisconsin |
| Kessler, Robert | $5,000 | RETIRED | Okauchee | Wisconsin |
| Hatch, Sandra | $5,000 | farmer | Necedah | Wisconsin |
| Hartung, Rosemarie | $5,000 | HOMEMAKER | Arena | Wisconsin |
| Griffin, James | $5,000 | CAR DEALER | Hartland | Wisconsin |
| Fritz, David | $5,000 | insurance | Potosi | Wisconsin |
| Aylward, Richard | $5,000 | RETIRED | Neenah | Wisconsin |
| Kolb, Robert | $3,000 | MAINTENANCE | Dousman | Wisconsin |
| Grebe, Michael | $2,500 | retired | Milwaukee | Wisconsin |
| Wieser, Mark | $2,000 | business owner | Wisconsin Dells | Wisconsin |
| Styza, Anne | $2,000 | retired | Oconomowoc | Wisconsin |
| Stein, Michael | $2,000 | owner | Waukesha | Wisconsin |
| Schneller, James | $2,000 | OWNER | Platteville | Wisconsin |
| Mode, James | $2,000 | RETIRED | Jefferson | Wisconsin |
| Lowe, Mary | $2,000 | EXECUTIVE | Soldiers Grove | Wisconsin |
| Ewald, Brian | $2,000 | AUTO DEALER | Oconomowoc | Wisconsin |
| Milwaukee Police Association Political Action Committee | $1,000 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin |