Politics & Government

Special Interests Duking It Out on the Airwaves in Recall Race

Conservative and liberal groups account for $1.3 million of the more than $1.7 million spent on TV ads on 8th Senate District election.

The battle for the 8th Senate District seat has quickly become one of the most watched recall races in Wisconsin, with candidates and special-interest groups pouring more than $1.7 million into TV ads.

Both incumbent Sen. Alberta Darling and challenger Rep. Sandy Pasch have purchased airtime on TV, but the real money is being spent by outside organizations, which have pumped more than $1.3 million into ads in the Milwaukee market, according to Patch's review of ad spending.

A review of public records at the four major Milwaukee TV stations shows that two special interest groups are spending nearly $800,000 on ads supporting Darling, a Republican from River Hills.

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The Wisconsin chapter of Club for Growth has spent nearly $550,000 and American Federation for Children has purchased $230,000 of air time. Between the two groups, nearly 2,000 ads will air right up to Aug. 8, the day before Darling meets Pasch in a recall election.

In all, Club for Growth has dumped at least $1.5 million into Wisconsin recall races, according to the Washington Post's Greg Sargent. 

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The ads being aired by the two groups center around Pasch's record of voting for tax increases an supporting the early release program for prisoners in Wisconsin, and also argue that Darling is fighting for education.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's largest business group, also is purchasing air time in Milwaukee with a general pro-Republican message. The group's ad, titled "Don't Go Back," urge voters to support to GOP senators up for recall.

We Are Wisconsin a major player

Rounding out ads by the outside groups in the 8th District is the liberal group We Are Wisconsin, which has spent just short of $575,000 in the race. Its pro-Pasch ads attack Darling for supporting cuts to education while giving tax breaks to big corporations and the rich.

Even though the impetus of the recalls was the Republicans' support of Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill that end of most collective bargaining rights for public workers, none of the ads focus on that issue.

Additionally, We Are Wisconsin is also purchasing ads in the Milwaukee market for the 22nd Senate District race between lawyer Jonathan Steitz and Sen. Robert Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie).

Level of spending unparallelled

The ad buys in the recall elections are unprecedented, experts say.

"You can't really compare these elections to any other," said Doug Hill of the Madison-based political consulting firm Marks and Hill.

"In a regular state Senate race, I think you’d have some TV bought, but not at this level," he added. "I think it’s indicative of what’s at stake."

Some experts and insiders expect ad buys to top $20 million in Wisconsin and some of the nine recall races to approach the unofficial record of $3 million the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimates was spent in Sen. Shelia Harsdorf’s (R-River Hills) district in 2000, the Milwaukee Journal's Craig Gilbert reports.

Social media is quickly becoming relevant in political campaigns, but TV remains the go-to medium, Hill said.

"Television is easily the most powerful medium," Hill said. "It’s the route by which you can reach the biggest audience."

It's an easy way for the candidates to speak to the voters and define themselves, he said.

Darling, Pasch aren't spending much

While millions are being spent on ads in the 8th District, the candidates themselves are airing few ads on their own.

Darling's campaign, for example, just starting buying ads in the last two weeks and is spending around $100,000 on 184 spots.

Her campaign manager, Andrew Davis, said the campaign isn't too concerned about how much air time Darling is buying. While ads are important, voter turnout will be determine the winner in this race, he said.

Pasch's campaign has shelled out $324,000 on 525 ad spots, hitting the air in early June in anticipation of a July 12 recall election. She later canceled some ads after it was determined that a Democratic primary would be held before the general recall election.

Pasch campaign spokesman Dave Kreisman said the campaign has been proactive on TV in an effort to counter negative ads targeting the Democrat from Whitefish Bay.

Ad count is about equal

Even though the groups backing Darling are outspending those supporting Pasch, the total number of ads being aired on both sides is just about the same. As of Wednesday, pro-Pasch ads were scheduled to air 2,056 times on the four TV stations, compared to 2,091 times for pro-Darling ads.

Between the candidates and interest groups, there are a handful of negative ads. Hill says going negative can get you positive results.

"The general public says they don't like negative ads, but it has been proven through scientific study that negative ads tend to move people more than positive ones," he said.

Here's a look at what is being spent by whom:

Candidate or group

Air dates
No. of spots Money spent

Wisconsin Club for Growth

July 5 to Aug. 8 1,535 $549,275 We Are Wisconsin July 7 to Aug. 8 1,531 $572,370 American Federation for Children July 14 to July 31 372 $230,290 Sandy Pasch June 3 to Aug. 1 525 $324,310 Alberta Darling July 22 to July 31 184 $97,750


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