MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – It is no question Wisconsin’s airwaves are being inundated with political ads. However, beyond the focus on presidential U.S. Senate races, there has also been an unprecedented amount of spending on advertising in the state’s local legislative races.
“We’ll probably set a new record this year,” Brian Schimming, the chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said.
Wisconsin’s Democratic Party agreed, with Ben Wikler, the Chairman of the state’s Democratic Party saying, “Wisconsin has never had local legislative elections like this.”
So why has there been such an increase in political advertising for our local races? Both parties pointed to the new state legislative maps signed by Democratic Gov. Evers earlier this year.
“The competition is more intense,” Wikler said.
“We just plain and simple have more races because we have new maps and there’s a lot of outside money coming into the state,” Schimming elaborated.
According to data obtained from the Federal Communications Commission, over the last month, a significant number of resources are pouring into Wisconsin’s State Senate and Assembly races.
In the Assembly District 94 race between incumbent Democrat Steve Doyle and Republican challenger Ryan Huebsch, a combined more than $830,000 has already been spent on broadcast television advertising in the Eau Claire-La Crosse viewing area.
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In Wausau’s Assembly District 85 race, spending is even higher. Incumbent Republican Patrick Snyder is facing off with Democrat Yee Leng Xiong, who, if he won, would become Wisconsin’s first-ever Hmong state representative. Over $1.2 million has been spent in Wausau’s viewing area for the race.
Assembly members serve just two-year terms.
State Senate races are also racking up a bill. In Madison’s viewing area, the contested race between incumbent Joan Ballweg and Democratic challenger Sarah Keyeski has already cost over $1.1 million.
In Green Bay and Appleton’s viewing areas, a staggering $2.1 million has been spent in State Senate District 30, fighting over the newly open seat, thanks to redistricting.
These prices are only for broadcast television ads. They do not include the costs of yard signs or digital, mail and cable outreach.
“Donors want to give when there’s a chance to win,“ Mike Wagner, a UW-Madison Journalism professor and elections expert, said. ”They don’t just give because they like the person.”
For many, state-level politics are increasingly important.
“Not a lot is happening at the federal level,” Wagner explained. “We have a divided government. Republicans and Democrats don’t get along. It’s not a very active legislative body right now, whereas lots of things can change really quickly at the state level, especially if the majority party in the State Senate or State Assembly changes.”
The state government has about a $100 billion budget, Schimming further explained. That budget has an impact on “every single person,” he said.
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the importance of local politics is further emphasized for Democrats.
“Individual states can impose abortion bans or protect people from government interference in their personal medical decisions,” Wikler said. “So state legislators have enormous power over decisions that affect every family in our state.”
For those fed up with all of the ads, both Wisconsin party chairs said those filled commercial breaks are here to stay until Election Day.
“When you see a lot of ads, usually that’s a sign that there are real stakes,” Wikler said.
In future elections– when there is not a presidential and U.S. Senate race competing for airtime, Wisconsinites will only continue to see an increase in local ad spending, Wagner said.
All of it in the end is worth it, though, according to Schimming.
“There’s a lot [of advertisements] out there, and it can be aggravating,“ Schimming said, ”but it’s a lot less aggravating than bad government.”
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