Politics

UPDATED: Top campaign donors to Janet Protasiewicz, left-wing candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court

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.

Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, left, is running for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Top donors to her campaign include, clockwise from middle top, former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, former Milwaukee Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig, and Milwaukee attorney David Gruber.

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.

DONORCITYSTATEOCCUPATIONDONATION
BEAM, JACKCHICAGOILLAWYER$20,000
BERGER, DANIELPHILADELPHIAPAEMPLOYED$20,000
BURNS, TIMOTHY WMIDDLETONWIATTORNEY$20,000
BURNSTEIN, CLIFFORDNEW YORKNY$20,000
CONNELL, WILLIAM J (LIAM)LAKE FORESTILRETIRED$20,000
DOW, ABIGAILTULSAOKINSTRUCTIONAL COACH$20,000
DOW, RACHELTULSAOKHEALTH EDUCATOR$20,000
DUKER, MARILYNNPIKESVILLEMDCEO$20,000
EGERMAN, JOANNEWESTONMANOT EMPLOYED$20,000
EGERMAN, PAULWESTONMANOT EMPLOYED$20,000
ERDMAN, MARYMADISONWINOT EMPLOYED$20,000
ESCOBAR, MARTHANEW YORKNYNOT EMPLOYED$20,000
EYCHANER, FRED JCHICAGOILPHILANTHROPIST$20,000
FLESSAS, JULIEMEQUONWIATTORNEY$20,000
FOWLER, AMY GOLDMANRHINEBECKNYAUTHOR$20,000
FREDERICK, DAVIDWASHINGTONDCATTORNEY$20,000
GINSBURG, HANANEW YORKNYCONCERT DANCER$20,000
GUND, AGNESNEW YORKNYRETIRED$20,000
HASELOW, JUSTINE PEDINAMNRETIRED$20,000
HASELOW, ROBERT EEDINAMNMD PRESIDENT$20,000
HEISING, MARK WATHERTONCAINVESTOR$20,000
JURVETSON, KARLA TINKLENBERGLOS ALTOSCAPHYSICIAN$20,000
KAUFER, STEPHENNEWTONMARETIRED$20,000
KOHL, HERBERT H (HERB)MILWAUKEEWIPHILANTHROPIST$20,000
LAINER, LEELOS ANGELESCANOT EMPLOYED$20,000
LAINER, LUISLOS ANGELESCANOT EMPLOYED$20,000
LAUFER, ERICNEW YORKNYEMPLOYED$20,000
LAWSON, ERICA FSAN FRANCISCOCAPHYSICIAN$20,000
LAWSON, JEFFREYSAN FRANCISCOCACEO$20,000
LEHOCZKY, SANDORNEW YORKNYMANAGING DIRECTOR/FINANCE$20,000
LUBAR, MADELEINE KELLYMILWAUKEEWICOMMUNITY VOLUNTEER$20,000
LUBAR, MARIANNE SRIVER HILLSWIHOMEMAKER$20,000
LUBAR, SHELDON BRIVER HILLSWICHAIRMAN$20,000
LUBAR, SUSANWIPRESIDENT$20,000
LYNN, SOPHIAMCLEANVAEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$20,000
MCCLAVE, JAMESNEW YORKNYTRADER$20,000
MESSINGER, ALIDA ROCKEFELLERAFTONMNCOMMUNITY VOLUNTEER$20,000
MEYER, GWENDOLYN SONTHEIMMINNETONKAMNINVESTOR$20,000
MILLER, JOHN CHARLESKOHLERWINONE$20,000
MILLER, JOHN WKOHLERWIPRINCIPAL$20,000
MINSKY-PRIMUS, LISA SNEW YORKNYPHYSICIAN$20,000
MINSKY, YARONNEW YORKNYFINANCE$20,000
PIGOTT, GAYE TSEATTLEWAHOMEMAKER$20,000
PRITZKER, J.B.CHICAGOILGOVERNOR$20,000
RANDALL, GIOVANNANEW YORKNYEMPLOYED$20,000
ROLFS, PAMELA (PAM)MIDDLETONWIATTORNEY$20,000
RYAN, VINCENTBOSTONMACHAIRMAN$20,000
SCHUSTERMAN, LYNN JTULSAOKRETIRED$20,000
SCHUSTERMAN, STACY HELENTULSAOKEXECUTIVE$20,000
SELL, GREGORY JFRANKLINWIATTORNEY$20,000
SHENKER, SCOTTBERKELEYCASCIENTIST$20,000
SIMONS, ELIZABETH DIANE (LIZ)ATHERTONCARETIRED$20,000
SNOWDON, JR, TED W.NEW YORKNYTHEATRICAL PRODUCER$20,000
STOLTE, CHRISSEATTLEWARETIRED$20,000
STRYKER, PATFORT COLLINSCOPHILANTHROPIST$20,000
UIHLEIN, LYNDE BMILWAUKEEWIINVESTOR$20,000
WOLFE, THOMAS R.MADISONWINOT EMPLOYED$20,000
MOSBERGER-TANG, NINGLAFAYETTECOINVESTOR$19,500
BECK, ANDREWCUTCHOGUENYNOT EMPLOYED$19,000
AFSCME WISCONSIN COUNCIL 32MADISONWI$18,000
AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATIONSILVER SPRINGMD$18,000
AMERICAN FED OF TEACHERS 212 COPECUDAHYWI$18,000
END CITIZENS UNITED PACDC$18,000
I.B.E.W. LOCAL 14 COPE FUNDFALL CREEKWI$18,000
MCKELLER, MARIEEVANSTONILNOT EMPLOYED$18,000
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FUNDDC$18,000
OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 139PEWAUKEEWI$18,000
PLUMBERS LOCAL 75 PACMILWAUKEEWI$18,000
State Democracy Defenders PACDC$18,000
SEIU HEALTHCARE WISCONSINMADISONWI$18,000
SMART PACDC$18,000
TEAMSTERS DRIVE COMMITTEEDC$18,000
WEAC PACMADISONWI$18,000
WI PEOPLE CONFERENCEMADISONWI$18,000
WI PIPE TRADES ASSN PACMILWAUKEEWI$18,000
WISCONSIN CARPENTERS PACMADISONWI$18,000
WISCONSIN LABORERS DISTRICT COUNCILDEFORESTWI$18,000
WISCONSIN STATE COUNCIL OF CARPENTERSMADISONWI$18,000
SOBCZAK, LEONARD JMILWAUKEEWIRETIRED$15,033
BONDERMAN, CALE MICHAELSFORT WORTHTXINVESTOR$15,000
BONDERMAN, DJANGOFORT WORTHTXPARTNER$15,000
GRUBER, DAVID EFOX POINTWIATTORNEY$15,000
LUBAR, DAVID JMILWAUKEEWIPRESIDENT & CEO$15,000
RODGERS, CHARLESBOSTONMAATTORNEY$15,000
SELIG, ALLAN H “BUD”BAYSIDEWIRETIRED$15,000
WALSH, KARENMADISONWINOT EMPLOYED$15,000
AMERICAN FREEDOM OF TEACHERS WISCONSIN COPEHIGHLANDWI$13,000
FAULKNER, GORDON TMOUNT HOREBWIRETIRED$10,325
BERNSTEIN, JOHNGUILFORDVTSOUND PRODUCER$10,000
CHAMBERS, MERLEDENVERCORETIRED$10,000
CONROY, SHEILAMADISONWIATTORNEY$10,000
GEORGE, INARALOS ANGELESCASINGER$10,000
HARRIS, REMIMAQUONWISELF EMPLOYED$10,000
KASDAN, JAKELOS ANGELESCADIRECTOR$10,000
KERN, DEBORAHFOX POINTWIBUSINESS OWNER$10,000
KRANTZ, DONALD B (DON)MADISONWIRETIRED$10,000
LUBAR, JOAN BMILWAUKEEWICOMMUNITY VOLUNTEER$10,000
OB-GYN PACDC$10,000
SOLOMON, TRACYSAN RAFAELCANOT EMPLOYED$10,000
HOWKINS, MARY ANNNEW YORKNYPSYCHOTHERAPIST$10,000
SIMONS, NATBERKELEYCAINVESTOR$10,000
WITTY, JOANNEBEDFORD HILLSNYLAWYER/CIVIC VOLUNTEER$10,000

Hina Suzuki contributed to this report.

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

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