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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Wisconsin is once again a battleground state as it could swing the Presidential election and who controls the U.S. House and Senate. So, could that have anything to do with the special interest money flowing into our local elections this spring?
For a second straight election cycle for Green Bay’s city council, spending by special interest groups is far outpacing what is coming from the actual candidates’ campaigns.
According to reports published on the city’s website, candidates have spent $47,471 to try to get elected.
Special interest groups have spent almost double that amount – at least $93,313, according to the Wisconsin Campaign Finance database.
The difference between the two is candidates have no control over what messages the special interest groups put out and state law does not limit their spending.
“I think it’s a little bit frightening to contemplate why they’re so interested in what we’re doing here,” said Doug Reich, the chair of the Republican Party of Brown County.
The special interest money spent on Green Bay city council candidates is likely much higher as Open Democracy PAC, out of Washington D.C., has also put out ads. The Wisconsin Campaign Finance database shows the group has spent $119,899 in the state this year, but it doesn’t detail how much of that was spent on Green Bay’s races.
“I think it’s wrong to have that dark money, because that again isn’t honest,” said Randy Scannell, an outgoing member of Green Bay’s city council and a member of the Democratic Party of Brown County.
According to the state’s database, Power to the Polls Action Fund has spent $33,730 on Green Bay’s city council races. Wisconsin Conservation Voters has spent $55,782.
FOX 11 has tried contacting the special interest groups to find out why they’re spending on Green Bay’s city council races, but none have responded to our messages.
Both local Democrats and Republicans believe it is just a sign of hyper-partisan times and likely has little to do with the races in November.
“I don’t think they think if one party gets control of this then we have it made in November,” said Scannell. “I don’t think it plays out that way.”
FOX 11 asked Reich whether he believes city council members can have an impact on what happens in November.
“I don’t think they can do a lot in terms of what could actually happen in November,” said Reich. “I think having a transparent election process with a city administration and a clerk’s office that is very transparent and open to observation and open to poll observers and conducting the election in a fair and transparent election is probably the best way to reassure everyone votes are being counted and tabulated properly.”
Reich says council members can help oversee election administration, which he says is a priority for his party.
Voters head to the polls on Tuesday for the spring election, again on August 13th for the partisan primary, and November 5th for the general election.
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