Herb Kohl, Bud Selig, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and attorney David Gruber have all given the Milwaukee County judge the maximum, or close to it.
By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT
In her attempt to flip the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s majority to the left, Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz has proven to be a fundraising powerhouse.
In 2023, she has raised more than $13 million compared to about $2.3 million for her right-wing competitor, former Justice Daniel Kelly, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state.
She has had a lot of help. Continuing a recent trend, the Wisconsin Democratic Party continues to raise huge sums of cash for its candidates. The party has given Protasiewicz’s campaign more than $8 million.
Due to a loophole in state campaign finance law, political parties can accept donations without limit, while donations directly to a candidate are capped. Those same political parties are also allowed to donate unlimited amounts to candidates. State Democrats have introduced legislation to close the loophole, but Republicans who control the legislature have ignored the bills, and the Democratic Party is now using it to their advantage.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker directly donated the legal maximum $20,000 to Protasiewicz’s campaign, but a lot more of his money probably ended up in her coffers. In March, Pritzker also gave $1 million to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Karla Jurvetson, a major Democratic donor based in California, gave the campaign the maximum, and donated another $500,000 in March to the state party.
George Soros also donated $1 million in February to the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
The mother-daughter combo Lynn and Stacy Schusterman, whose family built a fortune in oil and are now philanthropists and major political donors, each gave the maximum to Protasiewicz’s campaign, and each gave an additional $500,000 to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
Former U.S. senator and Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl has given Protasiewicz the maximum $20,000. Former Milwaukee Brewers owner and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has given her campaign at least $15,000, as has prominent Milwaukee attorney David Gruber.
Several members of the wealthy Milwaukee-area Lubar family have given the candidate the maximum, as has Milwaukee-area philanthropist and Schlitz heir Lynde Uihlein, and Chicago-based, billionaire media mogul Fred Eychaner.
A list of Protasiewicz’s top donors, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state, is below.
| DONOR | CITY | STATE | OCCUPATION | DONATION |
| BEAM, JACK | CHICAGO | IL | LAWYER | $20,000 |
| BERGER, DANIEL | PHILADELPHIA | PA | EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| BURNS, TIMOTHY W | MIDDLETON | WI | ATTORNEY | $20,000 |
| BURNSTEIN, CLIFFORD | NEW YORK | NY | $20,000 | |
| CONNELL, WILLIAM J (LIAM) | LAKE FOREST | IL | RETIRED | $20,000 |
| DOW, ABIGAIL | TULSA | OK | INSTRUCTIONAL COACH | $20,000 |
| DOW, RACHEL | TULSA | OK | HEALTH EDUCATOR | $20,000 |
| DUKER, MARILYNN | PIKESVILLE | MD | CEO | $20,000 |
| EGERMAN, JOANNE | WESTON | MA | NOT EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| EGERMAN, PAUL | WESTON | MA | NOT EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| ERDMAN, MARY | MADISON | WI | NOT EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| ESCOBAR, MARTHA | NEW YORK | NY | NOT EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| EYCHANER, FRED J | CHICAGO | IL | PHILANTHROPIST | $20,000 |
| FLESSAS, JULIE | MEQUON | WI | ATTORNEY | $20,000 |
| FOWLER, AMY GOLDMAN | RHINEBECK | NY | AUTHOR | $20,000 |
| FREDERICK, DAVID | WASHINGTON | DC | ATTORNEY | $20,000 |
| GINSBURG, HANA | NEW YORK | NY | CONCERT DANCER | $20,000 |
| GUND, AGNES | NEW YORK | NY | RETIRED | $20,000 |
| HASELOW, JUSTINE P | EDINA | MN | RETIRED | $20,000 |
| HASELOW, ROBERT E | EDINA | MN | MD PRESIDENT | $20,000 |
| HEISING, MARK W | ATHERTON | CA | INVESTOR | $20,000 |
| JURVETSON, KARLA TINKLENBERG | LOS ALTOS | CA | PHYSICIAN | $20,000 |
| KAUFER, STEPHEN | NEWTON | MA | RETIRED | $20,000 |
| KOHL, HERBERT H (HERB) | MILWAUKEE | WI | PHILANTHROPIST | $20,000 |
| LAINER, LEE | LOS ANGELES | CA | NOT EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| LAINER, LUIS | LOS ANGELES | CA | NOT EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| LAUFER, ERIC | NEW YORK | NY | EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| LAWSON, ERICA F | SAN FRANCISCO | CA | PHYSICIAN | $20,000 |
| LAWSON, JEFFREY | SAN FRANCISCO | CA | CEO | $20,000 |
| LEHOCZKY, SANDOR | NEW YORK | NY | MANAGING DIRECTOR/FINANCE | $20,000 |
| LUBAR, MADELEINE KELLY | MILWAUKEE | WI | COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER | $20,000 |
| LUBAR, MARIANNE S | RIVER HILLS | WI | HOMEMAKER | $20,000 |
| LUBAR, SHELDON B | RIVER HILLS | WI | CHAIRMAN | $20,000 |
| LUBAR, SUSAN | WI | PRESIDENT | $20,000 | |
| LYNN, SOPHIA | MCLEAN | VA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | $20,000 |
| MCCLAVE, JAMES | NEW YORK | NY | TRADER | $20,000 |
| MESSINGER, ALIDA ROCKEFELLER | AFTON | MN | COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER | $20,000 |
| MEYER, GWENDOLYN SONTHEIM | MINNETONKA | MN | INVESTOR | $20,000 |
| MILLER, JOHN CHARLES | KOHLER | WI | NONE | $20,000 |
| MILLER, JOHN W | KOHLER | WI | PRINCIPAL | $20,000 |
| MINSKY-PRIMUS, LISA S | NEW YORK | NY | PHYSICIAN | $20,000 |
| MINSKY, YARON | NEW YORK | NY | FINANCE | $20,000 |
| PIGOTT, GAYE T | SEATTLE | WA | HOMEMAKER | $20,000 |
| PRITZKER, J.B. | CHICAGO | IL | GOVERNOR | $20,000 |
| RANDALL, GIOVANNA | NEW YORK | NY | EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| ROLFS, PAMELA (PAM) | MIDDLETON | WI | ATTORNEY | $20,000 |
| RYAN, VINCENT | BOSTON | MA | CHAIRMAN | $20,000 |
| SCHUSTERMAN, LYNN J | TULSA | OK | RETIRED | $20,000 |
| SCHUSTERMAN, STACY HELEN | TULSA | OK | EXECUTIVE | $20,000 |
| SELL, GREGORY J | FRANKLIN | WI | ATTORNEY | $20,000 |
| SHENKER, SCOTT | BERKELEY | CA | SCIENTIST | $20,000 |
| SIMONS, ELIZABETH DIANE (LIZ) | ATHERTON | CA | RETIRED | $20,000 |
| SNOWDON, JR, TED W. | NEW YORK | NY | THEATRICAL PRODUCER | $20,000 |
| STOLTE, CHRIS | SEATTLE | WA | RETIRED | $20,000 |
| STRYKER, PAT | FORT COLLINS | CO | PHILANTHROPIST | $20,000 |
| UIHLEIN, LYNDE B | MILWAUKEE | WI | INVESTOR | $20,000 |
| WOLFE, THOMAS R. | MADISON | WI | NOT EMPLOYED | $20,000 |
| MOSBERGER-TANG, NING | LAFAYETTE | CO | INVESTOR | $19,500 |
| BECK, ANDREW | CUTCHOGUE | NY | NOT EMPLOYED | $19,000 |
| AFSCME WISCONSIN COUNCIL 32 | MADISON | WI | $18,000 | |
| AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION | SILVER SPRING | MD | $18,000 | |
| AMERICAN FED OF TEACHERS 212 COPE | CUDAHY | WI | $18,000 | |
| END CITIZENS UNITED PAC | DC | $18,000 | ||
| I.B.E.W. LOCAL 14 COPE FUND | FALL CREEK | WI | $18,000 | |
| MCKELLER, MARIE | EVANSTON | IL | NOT EMPLOYED | $18,000 |
| NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FUND | DC | $18,000 | ||
| OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 139 | PEWAUKEE | WI | $18,000 | |
| PLUMBERS LOCAL 75 PAC | MILWAUKEE | WI | $18,000 | |
| State Democracy Defenders PAC | DC | $18,000 | ||
| SEIU HEALTHCARE WISCONSIN | MADISON | WI | $18,000 | |
| SMART PAC | DC | $18,000 | ||
| TEAMSTERS DRIVE COMMITTEE | DC | $18,000 | ||
| WEAC PAC | MADISON | WI | $18,000 | |
| WI PEOPLE CONFERENCE | MADISON | WI | $18,000 | |
| WI PIPE TRADES ASSN PAC | MILWAUKEE | WI | $18,000 | |
| WISCONSIN CARPENTERS PAC | MADISON | WI | $18,000 | |
| WISCONSIN LABORERS DISTRICT COUNCIL | DEFOREST | WI | $18,000 | |
| WISCONSIN STATE COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS | MADISON | WI | $18,000 | |
| SOBCZAK, LEONARD J | MILWAUKEE | WI | RETIRED | $15,033 |
| BONDERMAN, CALE MICHAELS | FORT WORTH | TX | INVESTOR | $15,000 |
| BONDERMAN, DJANGO | FORT WORTH | TX | PARTNER | $15,000 |
| GRUBER, DAVID E | FOX POINT | WI | ATTORNEY | $15,000 |
| LUBAR, DAVID J | MILWAUKEE | WI | PRESIDENT & CEO | $15,000 |
| RODGERS, CHARLES | BOSTON | MA | ATTORNEY | $15,000 |
| SELIG, ALLAN H “BUD” | BAYSIDE | WI | RETIRED | $15,000 |
| WALSH, KAREN | MADISON | WI | NOT EMPLOYED | $15,000 |
| AMERICAN FREEDOM OF TEACHERS WISCONSIN COPE | HIGHLAND | WI | $13,000 | |
| FAULKNER, GORDON T | MOUNT HOREB | WI | RETIRED | $10,325 |
| BERNSTEIN, JOHN | GUILFORD | VT | SOUND PRODUCER | $10,000 |
| CHAMBERS, MERLE | DENVER | CO | RETIRED | $10,000 |
| CONROY, SHEILA | MADISON | WI | ATTORNEY | $10,000 |
| GEORGE, INARA | LOS ANGELES | CA | SINGER | $10,000 |
| HARRIS, REMI | MAQUON | WI | SELF EMPLOYED | $10,000 |
| KASDAN, JAKE | LOS ANGELES | CA | DIRECTOR | $10,000 |
| KERN, DEBORAH | FOX POINT | WI | BUSINESS OWNER | $10,000 |
| KRANTZ, DONALD B (DON) | MADISON | WI | RETIRED | $10,000 |
| LUBAR, JOAN B | MILWAUKEE | WI | COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER | $10,000 |
| OB-GYN PAC | DC | $10,000 | ||
| SOLOMON, TRACY | SAN RAFAEL | CA | NOT EMPLOYED | $10,000 |
| HOWKINS, MARY ANN | NEW YORK | NY | PSYCHOTHERAPIST | $10,000 |
| SIMONS, NAT | BERKELEY | CA | INVESTOR | $10,000 |
| WITTY, JOANNE | BEDFORD HILLS | NY | LAWYER/CIVIC VOLUNTEER | $10,000 |
Hina Suzuki contributed to this report.
