David James
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Predicated by decades of trial attorneys, labor unions, and now the Obama-Holder-backed National Democratic Redistricting Committee spending millions on judicial races and litigation, the Daily Kos writes in the wake of this week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election:
“By the by, Democrats have no party-backed answer to the RSLC arm focused on judicial elections.” – Carolyn Fiddler, Daily Kos, April 4, 2019
What was at stake….
“Tuesday’s race in Wisconsin is seen as the precursor to another state Supreme Court election next year, which will determine the body’s partisan tilt. A Neubauer win means the court retains its current 4-3 conservative majority. That gives Democrats a shot to earn the majority in 2020, when the race is scheduled to fall on the day of the state’s Democratic presidential primaries. A Hagedorn win means consolidated conservative control of the court ahead of 2021 redistricting.” -Allegra Kirkland, Talking Points Memo, April 2, 2019
Outspent By a Margin of More Than Three-to-One, What the RSLC’s JFI Did to Meet the Challenge….
“The Republican State Leadership Committee’s Judicial Fairness Initiative mounted a last-minute ad buy ahead of next week’s election trying to paint Supreme Court candidate Lisa Neubauer as a tool of “radical, out-of-state special interests.” The group, which traditionally backs GOP and conservative candidates, said it is mounting a seven-figure campaign that includes TV, radio, digital and mail ahead of the April 2 election. It is the first significant expenditure by an independent group on Brian Hagedorn’s behalf as Neubauer had so far held an edge in third-party spending.” – WISPOLITICS.COM, March 25, 2019
“A Republican group swooped into Wisconsin this week to help Brian Hagedorn in his bid for the state Supreme Court, helping fill a gap left when other conservative groups abandoned the race. The more than $1 million effort is the first dose of major outside spending for Hagedorn, who is running against Lisa Neubauer in the April 2 election.” -Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 26, 2019
“The Republican State Leadership Committee says the TV ad attacking Neubauer and supporting her opponent, Appeals Court Judge Brian Hagedorn, is part of a seven-figure effort that also includes advertising online, through the mail and on radio. The more than $1 million effort in outside spending comes at a crucial time for Hagedorn as outside groups supporting the liberal-backed Neubauer have outspent those backing Hagedorn by a 14-to-1 margin, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.” -Riley Vetterrkind, Wisconsin State Journal, March 27, 2019
The Impact of the RSLC’s JFI….
“Though liberal groups outspent conservatives, more than $1 million in late spending from the Republican State Leadership Committee poured into Wisconsin in the final weeks. The RSLC targeted Republican voters who often sat out low-turnout spring elections, sending 1.2 million text messages and running digital ads. Four mailers landed on Republican doorsteps in Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties — the so-called WOW counties that ring Milwaukee, where Republicans need to drive up turnout to succeed statewide.” – Reid Wilson, The Hill – April 4, 2019
“Hagedorn benefited from a late infusion of $1.2 million from the Republican State Leadership Committee” – Scott Bauer. Associated Press, April 3, 2019
“Most critical of all was the Republican State Leadership Committee’s Judicial Fairness Initiative, which made a six-figure ad buy during the campaign’s final week that provided Hagedorn desperately needed help.” – Jake Curtis, National Review – April 3, 2019
Jake Curtis — Jake Curtis is a Milwaukee attorney. He previously served as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ chief legal counsel under Governor Scott Walker and as an associate counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.
About JFI
The RSLC’s Judicial Fairness Initiative (JFI), launched in 2014, works to elect down-ballot, state-level conservatives to the judiciary. Through JFI, the RSLC became the only national political organization focused exclusively on the electoral process of judicial branches at the state level. Too often voters are starved of information about judicial candidates up for election and forced to vote completely in the dark. To address this critically important need, JFI provides the public with a balanced flow of relevant information to make educated decisions and support common sense conservative judges at the state level.
About the RSLC
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country and the only national organization whose mission is to elect Republicans to multiple down-ballot, state-level offices. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates to the offices of lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state legislator, the judiciary and other down-ticket races. State-level Republicans maintain 61 of 99 legislative chamber majorities across the country, hold 25 lieutenant governor seats, and control 28 secretaries of state offices. To learn more about the RSLC, please visit www.rslc.gop or follow @RSLC on Twitter.
