$1.8 mil & counting: Wisconsin Legislature’s most expensive race is in Milwaukee burbs

A state senator in Wisconsin makes a little more than $57,000 per year. But the contenders for the 8th Senate District have each raised well over ten times that in their attempt to win the seat.

Approaching a total of $2 million with weeks still remaining before the election, Republican state Sen. Duey Stroebel and his Democratic opponent Jodi Habush Sinykin have raised the most of any state Legislature race in 2024. They are running for the hyper-competitive 8th Senate District, which includes the northern Milwaukee suburbs of Grafton, Menomonee Falls and Whitefish Bay.

Stroebel has reported raising more than $700,000 through late September, including a $200,000 donation to himself, according to his latest mandatory reports to the state. But Habush Sinykin, an attorney from Whitefish Bay, has reported raising nearly $1.2 million in 2024 through late September. The Democrat also raised and spent nearly $1.5 million last year in her unsuccessful bid to win the seat in a special election.

More than $700,000 of Habush Sinykin’s 2024 campaign cash has come from the state Democratic Party, a striking example of the organization’s huge fundraising advantage over the state GOP. By comparison, the Republican Party of Wisconsin has given Stroebel a paltry $83,000.

Thanks to a loophole in state campaign finance law created by a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court case and left open by the Republican-controlled Legislature, political parties can receive unlimited donations from individuals, and can donate unlimited amounts to candidates.

Stroebel was first elected to the state Senate in a special election in 2015 after serving two terms in the Assembly. But he currently serves in the neighboring 20th Senate District. His home was moved into the 8th in the redistricting earlier this year, so he will need to win in the new district to remain in the state Senate.

That may be a tougher climb than he’s used to. The district became friendlier to Democrats when it changed, said Ryan Weichelt, a UW-Eau Claire geography professor who focuses on redistricting.

“It will most likely be the closest state Senate race, in my opinion,” he said.

The Democratic candidate is a partner at Habush Habush & Rottier, the prominent personal injury law firm in Milwaukee. She has served on the Wisconsin Groundwater Advisory Committee and the Wisconsin Legislative Council’s Special Committee on the Great Lakes Compact as a policy expert in freshwater stewardship. She was also appointed to the Wisconsin DNR’s Wolf Management Plan Committee in 2021, according to her campaign website.

Stroebel sits on several high-profile committees, including as the vice-chair of the Legislature’s powerful, budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance. He also serves as chair of the Committee of Government Operations.

While political parties are not limited by state campaign finance laws, individuals, political candidates and political action committees are. A candidate for state Senate can take no more than $2,000 per election from any of them.

Stroebel has received the maximum $2,000 from more than 70 contributors, including from the PACs of Microsoft, Walmart, the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, the Wisconsin Builders Association and the Bell Ambulance Inc. Employees PAC, according to his most recent campaign finance reports. 

But along with political parties, no caps exist on the amount political candidates in Wisconsin can donate to themselves, per state law. This has allowed Stroebel to donate $200,000 to his own campaign.

Habush Sinykin has received the maximum $2,000 donation from more than 50 contributors in 2024, including many unions, such as the Wisconsin Laborers District Council and Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters, according to Follow the Money. She also received the maximum donation from Lynde Uihlein, a top political donor to Democrats in Wisconsin and cousin of Republican megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, and Robert Habush, her father. 

Habush Sinykin also received a total of $12,000 from several members of the Lubar family of the Lubar & Co. private investment firm in Milwaukee.

All that political cash translates into waves of political advertising, on the airwaves, online and in mailboxes in the hyper-competitive 8th.

Even before the state’s legislative districts were redrawn earlier this year, the district had a history of close elections. In the 2020 presidential election, 49.5% of the district voted for Biden there, while 48.9% voted for Trump, Weichelt said.  

Then the district got a little more left-leaning in the most recent redistricting, as “the inclusion of the areas near Whitefish Bay add more Democratic voters,” Weichelt said.

The top donors to Stroebel in the 2024 election cycle (so far)

DONOR	NOTES	AMOUNT
DUANE (DUEY) S STROEBEL JR.	INDIVIDUAL	$200,001
COMMITTEE TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN SENATE OF WISCONSIN	PARTY COMMITTEE	$69,772
WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN PARTY	PARTY COMMITTEE	$13,568
WISCONSIN REALTORS ASSOCIATION	PAC	$2,000
GEORGE MITCHELL	INDIVIDUAL	$3,041
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS OF WISCONSIN	PAC	$2,500
JESSICA CANNIZZARO	INDIVIDUAL	$2,100
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS LLC	PAC	$2,000
MICROSOFT CORP	PAC	$2,000
NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE	PAC	$2,000
WALMART	PAC	$2,000
WISCONSIN BUILDERS ASSOCIATION	PAC	$2,000
WISCONSIN INSURANCE ALLIANCE	PAC	$2,000
MICHAEL (MIKE) SCOTT SHANNON	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
HOWARD (HOWIE) S RICH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
RICHARD E OFFERDAHL	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DEVIN LEMHIEU CAMPAIGN CMTE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
DAN KNODL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
FRANK STANGL	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
RACHEL A ENGLISH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
GREATER MILWAUKEE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS	PAC	$2,000
TAXPAYERS FOR MARKLEIN	PAC	$2,000
FRIENDS OF VAN WANGGAARD	PAC	$2,000
REALTORS ASSOCIATION OF NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN	PAC	$2,000
CECELIA WELLS	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
GORDON J VELDBOOM	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DIANE M HENDRICKS	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
STEPHEN ROBBINS	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
WILLIAM LAMACCHIA	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
COWLES FOR SENATE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
DONALD (DON) D WAHLIN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DARSHAN S DHALIWAL	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
PETER C FARROW	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JAMES J OSTROM	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
PATRICK J ENGLISH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JAMES M LAPEYRE JR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MICHAEL H WHITE	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JOHN M VOSTERS	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JOHN B CRICHTON	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
PATRICK TESTIN CAMPAIGN CMTE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
CITIZENS FOR ROB HUTTON	PAC	$2,000
JACL KELLNER	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
WENDY GRAFF	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JULIAN BRADLEY CAMPAIGN CMTE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
RANDALL GROTH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
TAXPAYERS FOR KAPENGA	PAC	$2,000
MARY JONAS	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
ROB STAFSHOLT CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	PAC	$2,000
ERIC WIMBERGER CAMPAIGN CMTE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
SUSAL MITCHELL	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JOHN MELLOWES	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MARY CZAJA FELZKOWSKI CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
COALITION FOR COMMUNITY SOLAR ACCESS	PAC	$2,000
TODD WILLER	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
SUSAN MINAHAN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DANIEL RICH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
GOPAC ELECTIONS FUND	PAC	$2,000
BELL AMBULANCE INC. EMPLOYEES	PAC	$2,000
DAVID BOERKE	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JOSH JAGLER CAMPAIGN CMTE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
DANIEL MINAHAN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
TRAVIS ANDERSON	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DANIEL WELLS	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
QUINN FOR SENATE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
REALTORS Association of Northeast Wisconsin	PAC	$2,000
TODD FRYATT	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
JOSEPH RICH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
FRIENDS OF JOSH SCHOEMANN	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
WILLIAM BRACHMAN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
SAM YOUNESZADE	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
BERNADETTE DAWSON	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
CATHERINE CRICHTON	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
ROD COPES	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
WILLIAM INGRAM	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
HELEN VELDBOOM	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
KENDALL BREUNIG	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
SAM YOUNES	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
KEEGAN ENGLISH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000

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Top donors to Habush Sinykin in the 2024 election cycle (so far)

NICHOLAS OFFERMAN	NOTES	AMOUNT
STATE SENATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE OF WISCONSIN	PARTY COMMITTEE	$474,280
WISCONSIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY	PARTY COMMITTEE	$235,632
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OZAUKEE COUNTY	PARTY COMMITTEE	$9,000
EMILYS LIST	PAC	$2,000
OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 139	PAC	$2,000
WISCONSIN LABORERS DISTRICT COUNCIL	PAC	$2,000
WISCONSIN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION COUNCIL REGION 6	PAC	$2,000
SEIU WISCONSIN STATE COUNCIL	PAC	$2,000
WISCONSIN STATE COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS	PAC	$2,000
DANIEL J BADER	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
LINDA C BADER	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 494	PAC	$2,000
JOHN W MILLER JR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
PLUMBERS & GASFITTERS LOCAL 75	PAC	$2,000
JOAN B LUBAR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
CYRUS LYLE	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MARIANNE S LUBAR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
SHELDON B LUBAR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
NANCY KAPLAN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DAVID LUBAR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
LEONARD SOBCZAK	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MARILYN PELZ	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
PETER V MCAVOY	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MADELINE KELLY LUBAR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
BEVERLY (BEV) GREENBERG	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
ANDREW (ANDY) F RUMER	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
TRACY STEIN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MARK SPREITZER CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE	$2,000
JOHN CROUCH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
BARRY MANDEL	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
FRIENDS OF DIANNE HESSELBEIN	PAC	$2,000
AFSCME WISCONSIN COUNCIL 32	PAC	$2,000
HOWARD FRANKENTHAL	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
TINA COLE	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
TOMAS TORRES	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MICKY SADOFF	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
TOM SURRETTE	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
ROBERT HABUSH	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DAVID MARCUS	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
NICHOLAR OFFERMAN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MARTIN KATZ	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
MARK LARSON	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
PETER HOLBROOK	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
FRIENDS OF KELDA ROYS	PAC	$2,000
ALEX LASRY	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
SEIU WISCONSIN HEALTHCARE & SERVICE WORKERS STRONGER TOGETHER	PAC	$2,000
RON SADOFF	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DON & MARY JO LAYDEN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DOUGLAS M HAGERMAN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
BROWNE GREENE	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
SUSAN LUBAR	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
LYNDE UIHLEIN	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
LISA ZETLEY	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
GERALD WHITHEAD	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000
DEBRA KATZ	INDIVIDUAL	$2,000

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The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.

This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.