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U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., reported more than $2 million in contributions raised in the first quarter of campaign fundraising, with others running for Wisconsin Senate seats trailing her.
In a statement, Baldwin thanked the 24,000 people who contributed to the campaign and said her fundraising numbers were “a sign of willingness to fight for Wisconsin families.” Republican candidates former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann and former Gov. Tommy Thompson are currently separated by only a slim margin for their fundraising, with Thompson raising $660,000 and Neumann reporting $654,000.
On top of the money raised this quarter, Baldwin has already reported an additional $2.8 million on hand in previously released statements.
Despite nearly edging out Thompson, Neumann’s campaign was positive about his funding results.
“We … are feeling fantastic,” Neumann’s campaign manager Chip Englander said.
Englander said 85 percent of Neumann’s donors contributed $100 or less, which he said is an indication of Neumann’s widespread grassroots support.
One of Neumann’s biggest donations came from the Citizens United PAC, which donated $10,000 to his campaign.
Thompson’s campaign did not put out a public statement on the numbers but did put out a release after the campaign reports were released criticizing Baldwin for supporting the federal Buffett tax, which the campaign said in the statement was a “gimmick that will raise taxes on small businesses.”
“Eric’s personal investment in the campaign stems from his profound concern for the direction our country is heading and his vision for the future,” Joe Fadness, Hovde campaign manager, said in a statement. “It is practically unheard of for a political outsider who has never run for office to raise more than $100,000 in just three weeks, and it proves that people are looking for someone with the experience and message that only Eric provides.”
Current Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald reported the lowest fundraising, raising $25,000 according to Wisconsin’s campaign finance database. Fitzgerald’s campaign did not return calls for comment on Monday.
In results released by the Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling on Monday, Thompson was leading Baldwin 47 to 45 percent. Baldwin led Fitzgerald 47 to 40 percent and led former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann 46 to 45. All results were within the margin of error, and Hovde was not included in the survey polling.
All candidates are running to replace Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., who is stepping down after four terms. The primary is set for Aug. 14, with the general election Nov. 6.
Due to a reporting error, this article mis-attributed quotes to Joe Fadness instead of Hovde spokesperson Sean Lansing and also misquoted him. Hovde also raised $1.6 million instead of $1.5 million. In order to correct this error, The Badger Herald has replaced information from Lansing with a quote from a Hovde press statement. The Badger Herald regrets the error.
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