Richard Uihlein, Eric Hovde and Tim Michels have each given the maximum. The Waukesha County judge and former state AG has raised more than $3 million so far in his campaign for the state’s highest court.

By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT

With about a month before the election, Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge and former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel has reported raising more than $3 million for his campaign, according to mandatory campaign finance filings with the state.

By comparison, the political left’s candidate, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford, has reported raising more than $5 million.

Per state law, the most a person can give a candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court is $20,000. But a loophole in state campaign finance law allows political parties to raise unlimited amounts and donate unlimited amounts to candidates. And both candidates are taking advantage. The state Republican Party has given Schimel nearly $1.7 million, and the state Democratic Party has given Crawford $2 million.

Campaigns for Wisconsin Supreme Court are technically nonpartisan, though both major parties throw their support behind their preferred candidate.

The race projects to be one of the court’s most expensive ever. Whichever side’s candidate wins will control the majority of the highest state court in Wisconsin.

The candidates, their parties and independent political groups spent a record-smashing $51 million in the last race for state Supreme Court in 2023, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, an organization that tracks campaign finance in the state. That election flipped the majority of the court from the right to the left for the first time in years.

Schimel served one term as Wisconsin Attorney General before he was defeated by current AG Josh Kaul in 2018. Then-Gov. Scott Walker, who also lost that year, appointed Schimel to be a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge before the end of his term.

Schimel is positioning himself as a tough-on-crime adjudicator, one who has “dedicated his career to defending victims, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring that criminals are held accountable.”

“Brad Schimel will take back the Wisconsin Supreme Court and end the madness,” his website reads.

He received a drunken-driving citation in 1990 when he was 24 years old. Schimel’s blood alcohol content was 0.14, above the limit at the time of 0.1, according to a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is opening because left-leaning Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring.

The general election is April 1. The winner will earn a 10-year term on the state’s high court.

Donors who have given Schimel $10,000 or more

NAME	LOCATION	OCCUPATION	DONATION	NOTES
Republican Party of Wisconsin	Madison, WI		$1,675,000
Babcock Shaffer, Kathryn	Chicago, IL	RETIRED	$20,000
Barry, Suzanne	Brookfield, WI	RETIRED	$20,000	co-owner of tool manufacturing company Speed Systems
Barry, William E.	Brookfield, WI	RETIRED	$20,000	co-owner of tool manufacturing company Speed Systems
Berrien, Willard	Milwaukee, WI	EXECUTIVE	$20,000
Bryant, Andrea B.	Waukesha, WI	RETIRED	$20,000
Buholzer, Glenda	Monroe, WI	MASTER CHEESEMAKER	$20,000	co-owner, Buhozer Brothers Cheese company
Buholzer, Susan	Monroe, WI	RETIRED	$20,000	co-owner, Buhozer Brothers Cheese company
Buholzer, Thea R	Monroe, WI	CEO	$20,000	co-owner, Buhozer Brothers Cheese company
Crivello, Frank P.	Milwaukee, WI	CHAIRMAN	$20,000
Dretzka, Kevin	Lake Geneva, WI	SELF-EMPLOYED	$20,000
Dvorak, Theresa	LaValle, WI	RETIRED	$20,000
English, Rachel	Wauwatosa, WI	PHYSICIAN	$20,000
Fettig, Robert P.	Lake Geneva, WI	CEO	$20,000
Fischer, Clark	Muskego, WI	RETIRED	$20,000
Hendricks, Diane	Beloit, WI	CHAIRWOMAN	$20,000	billionaire ABC Supply Co. co-founder
Hendricks, Kim	Janesville, WI	RETIRED	$20,000	daughter of billionaire ABC Supply Co. Chairwoman Diane Hendricks
Hovde, Eric	Madison, WI	CEO	$20,000
Jonas, Glen F.	Cedarburg, WI	CEO/OWNER	$20,000
Kellner, Ted	Milwaukee, WI	CHAIRMAN, CEO	$20,000	founder and chairman of Fiduciary Management, an independent money management firm
Koss, Todd	Fond du Lac, WI	CEO	$20,000
Kunes, Gregg E.	Lake Geneva, WI	OWNER	$20,000
Leipold, Craig	Racine, WI	CHAIRMAN	$20,000
Merkel, Anne L.	Marshfield, WI	RETIRED	$20,000
Michels, Timothy J.	Brownsville, WI	OWNER	$20,000	former GOP candidate for governor
Minahan, Daniel J.	Fox Point, WI	REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE	$20,000
Moeller, James	Waunakee, WI	AUTO DEALER OWNER	$20,000
Neumann, Matthew	Hartland, WI	DEVELOPER	$20,000
Pregont, Joseph T.	Janesville, WI	PRESIDENT & CEO	$20,000
Rozolis, Keith	Lake Geneva, WI	MANAGER	$20,000
Schimdt, Timothy	Nashville, TN	CEO	$20,000
Schloemer, James	Menomonee Falls, WI	CEO	$20,000
Seidensticker, Laura	Lake Forest, IL	RETIRED	$20,000
Taylor, Carol G.	Waukesha, WI	HOMEMAKER	$20,000
Uihlein, Richard E.	Lake Bluff, IL	CEO	$20,000	billionaire founder of ULINE packing supplies
Waller, Rick	Kenosha, WI	EXECUTIVE	$20,000
White, Cathy	Milwaukee, WI		$20,000
White, Michael	Milwaukee, WI	CHAIRMAN	$20,000	Owner of Rite-Hite, manufacturer of industrial equipment
Wright, Karen	Mount Vernon, OH	CHAIRMAN	$20,000
Young, Fred M.	Racine, WI	RETIRED	$20,000
Jim Jordan for Congress	Hudson, WI		$18,000	political action committee
Tiffany for Wisconsin Inc.	Wausau, WI		$18,000	political action committee
Cliff Bentz for Congress	Ontario, OR		$15,000	political action committee
English, Patrick J.	Milwaukee, WI	EXECUTIVE	$15,000
Kellner, Mary	Milwaukee, WI	PHILANTHROPIST	$15,000
Wall, Terrance R.	Middleton, WI	REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT	$15,000
Burke, Kathryn	Milwaukee, WI	RETIRED	$12,500
Neumann, Amy	Hartland, WI	HOMEMAKER	$12,500
Fleckenstein, Jodie	Pewaukee, WI	RETIRED	$11,250
Mardak, Keith	Milwaukee, WI	CONTRACTOR	$11,000
Lenz, Dave	Middleton, WI	FOUNDER CHAIRMAN	$10,500
Bahl, Dave L.	New Berlin, WI	CEO/OWNER	$10,000
Bahl, Linda	New Berlin, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Ballweg, Joan A.	Markesan, WI	SMALL BUSINESS	$10,000	ex-state senator
Dhein, Jere	Green Bay, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Diermeier, Jeffrey	Naples, FL	RETIRED	$10,000
Direct Supply Inc Partners PAC	Milwaukee, WI		$10,000
Dretzka, Silvia	Lake Geneva, WI	BUSINESS OWNER	$10,000
Fedler, Ronald G.	Fort Lauderdale, FL	PRESIDENT	$10,000
Fettig, MaryEllen	Lake Geneva, WI	HOMEMAKER	$10,000
Fritz, David H.	Potosi, WI	INSURANCE	$10,000
Gentine, Louis P.	Elkhart Lake, WI	EXECUTIVE	$10,000	executive at Sargento Cheese
Gruenke, Bernard Gunar	Oconomowoc, WI	PRESIDENT	$10,000
Johnson, Barbara	Rice Lake, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Johnson, Jr., Mark	Rice Lake, WI	MANAGER	$10,000
Johnson, Mark	Rice Lake, WI	MANAGER	$10,000
Kelsey, Todd P.	Waupaca, WI	CEO	$10,000
Kunz, Vicky L.	Holmen, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Lee, Bonnie B.	Pewaukee, WI	EXEC. DIR.	$10,000
Mayer, Scott A.	Franlkin, WI	COB	$10,000
Millis, Don M.	Sun Prairie, WI	ATTORNEY	$10,000
Nehls PAC	Hudson, WI		$10,000
Nelsen, James R.	Milwaukee, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Nelson, Todd	Wisconsin Dells, WI	RESORT OWNER	$10,000
Ramirez, Augustin	Hartland, WI	CHAIRMAN	$10,000
Read, Verne R.	Milwaukee, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Republican Party Wood County	Marshfield, WI		$10,000
Sell, Kim	Lake Geneva, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Shannon, Michael	Denver, CO	RETIRED	$10,000
Silseth, John	Brookfield, WI	PRESIDENT	$10,000
Story, Kendra A.	Tucson, AZ	RETIRED	$10,000
Thermansen, Martha	Milwaukee, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Tiller Glen, Mary	Cedarburg, WI	RETIRED	$10,000
Wochos, Scott	De Pere, WI	RETIRED	$10,000

Sreejita Patra contributed to this report.

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