Wisconsin Democrats and Republicans both say they’re fighting for control of the full state Legislature, but recent fundraising suggests they may each have a favorite chamber.
Big donors are pouring money into the Republican campaign to retain control of the state Assembly, while Democrats are outraising Republicans in their push to flip the Senate.
The fundraising reflects opportunities and challenges facing the parties in their second election under competitive legislative maps, one that will take place during a midterm that could favor Democrats.
News with a little more humanity
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
Republican Assembly fundraising committee brings in 4 times as much as Democrats
During the last half of 2025, the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee raised around $4.5 million with the help of a $3 million donation from GOP megadonor Elizabeth Uihlein and another $1 million donation from fellow megadonor Diane Hendricks. The group ended the year with around $5.2 million in the bank.
During the same period, the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee raised just more than $1.1 million, which included $175,000 from Democratic megadonor and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and $100,000 donations from Lynde Uihlein of Milwaukee and David Hall of Pewaukee. The Democrats’ committee ended the period with around $241,000 in the bank.
Senate Democratic fundraising committee raises twice as much as GOP counterpart
It was a different story on the Senate side of the fight for legislative control. The State Senate Democratic Committee raised around $772,000, while the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate raised around $307,000. At the end of the year, however, the GOP group had more money in the bank than its Democratic counterpart.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Political Science Professor Anthony Chergosky told WPR the best way to determine how political parties feel about upcoming elections is to see where their donors are putting their money. He said the latest Wisconsin data “reflects the simple math that Republicans are more likely to maintain control of the Assembly majority than they are to maintain control of the Senate majority.”
“And if we also think about the politics of the next legislative session, having majority control in even one of the two chambers would be huge for Republicans,” said Chergosky. “Because then they can stop or impede certain legislative agendas that might come from a Democratic-controlled Senate.”
With Senate GOP majority on the line, Republican incumbent Rob Hutton announces he won’t seek reelection
Just two years ago, Republicans had a veto-proof 22-11 supermajority in the Senate, but that’s shrunk to an 18-15 split.
New legislative maps played a big role. After the Supreme Court flipped to liberal control in 2023, the court’s majority found the old Republican-drawn maps unconstitutional. That prompted Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers to agree on new, more competitive districts the following year.
Now, Democrats need to flip just two GOP Senate seats and hold all their own to win a majority.
That task potentially got easier for Democrats Thursday when state Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, announced he won’t run for a second term. Hutton said he and his wife made the decision due to “increasing personal and professional obligations” that made it clear “stepping aside is the right decision at this time.”
The Huttons recently won a $3.46 billion civil lawsuit related to a faulty dehumidifier that caused a housefire, according to the Waukesha Freeman. An attorney for the couple told the newspaper the punitive damages awarded by the judge were around $1.3 million. Hutton’s chief of staff, Chris Rochester, told WPR in an email that the settlement had no role in the decision not to run again and any proceeds from the lawsuit will be donated to charity.
Chergosky said Hutton’s exit from politics adds another hurdle for Republicans hoping to keep the Senate majority. Former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by 6 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, meaning the seat is an uphill climb for the GOP, no matter who runs.
“It’s going to put enormous pressure on Republicans to recruit a strong candidate who has the ability to not just appeal to the GOP base, but can win over some Harris voters and some Tammy Baldwin voters,” said Chergosky. “That is easier said than done in this day and age, but it’s just a mathematical necessity in this particular district.”
Last summer, state Rep. Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa, announced her campaign for Hutton’s district. Mike Roberts, an orthopedic doctor from Waukesha, filed paperwork this month to run as a Republican.
Other districts could present similar challenges for the GOP. State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, is another top target for Democrats. His district went for Harris by 1 percentage point, according to an analysis by Marquette pollster Charles Franklin. In his latest fundraising report, Van Wanggaard reported bringing in just more than $36,000. The Republican’s chief of staff, Scott Kelly, told WPR in an email that the senator hasn’t decided whether or not he’ll retire at the end of his term, which his fundraising reflects.
Wanggaard’s Democratic opponent, Trevor Jung, raised about $134,000 during the final six months of 2025.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
