Candidates for Wisconsin governor are already starting to collect money for 2006 campaigns.

After running for office, pledging to make reforms on campaign funding in 2002, Gov. Jim Doyle has managed to raise $3.3 million in preparation for the 2006 election.

This record amount of money for an incumbent governor is even more than former Gov. Tommy Thompson raised in his last campaign.

Thompson spent approximately $7 million throughout his campaign.

Doyle’s advisors hope to raise $10 to $12 million.

The governor wants to guarantee he has the resources to be re-elected as governor, according to Josh Morby, consultant and expert on campaign finance at Nation Consultants.

“The money raised shows the support that he has from people for the work done as governor,” Morby said.

Watchdog groups are dismayed by the lofty figures, however, arguing they reflect a lack of action on the campaign-finance issue.

In the 2002 election, Doyle ran against current Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk with a pledge to make campaign-finance reform a top priority, according to Jay Heck of Common Cause of Wisconsin.

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, the first Republican to announce a gubernatorial run, has criticized Doyle for being too cozy with special-interest groups.

“While Governor Doyle was shaking down special-interest groups in Madison at record pace, we were putting together three straight budgets that froze property taxes and reformed government,” Walker said in a release. “Our message of delivering on my promises contrasts well with Jim Doyle’s record of broken promises; no amount of money can erase his record.”

Walker entered the race last week in an effort to chip away at Doyle’s sizable financial advantage. Heck predicted Walker will raise $5-7 million over the course of the campaign.

The other Republican likely to enter the race, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, has not officially announced a run but has started to raise money for campaigning.

A total of $23 million in campaign money was spent for the 2002 election, including $6 million by Doyle, another $4 million by Democratic opponents and $9 million by former Republican Gov. Scott McCallum.

Heck estimated that by 2006, over $36 million would be spent on the entire governor’s campaign.

“[It] is a really sad indictment of Wisconsin politics today that it would require so much money to be elected governor,” Heck said.

State Sen. Michael Ellis, R-Neenah, and Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, have introduced a bipartisan bill that would cap spending at $4 million per candidate. Past efforts from Ellis to enact reforms have failed to advance in the legislature.

Under the new bill, if one candidate spends more than the other a match will be provided for the other candidate, said Ellis spokesman Mike Boerger.

“Senator Ellis maintains that the influence of outside sources certainly does affect the process, and [this is his] reason … for clean election fund financing,” Boerger said.

If the bill is considered quickly in the Senate, it could be on Doyle’s in two months. Given Doyle’s track record, however, a bill is no sure bet to go into law, Heck said.

Ryan Masse contributed to this report