MADISON, Wis. — Republican State Senator Howard Marklein would like Wisconsinites to believe he’s a bipartisan legislator with grassroots support from the people he represents in Wisconsin’s 17th Senate District, but the facts and figures tell an alarmingly different story.
An analysis of Marklein’s most recent campaign finance report shows that over two-thirds of his contributions (66%) came from right-wing special interests and groups connected to his GOP party bosses, like the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate (CERS).
CERS reported its recent funding comes primarily from billionaires Diane Hendricks and Elizabeth Uihlein, who gave $4 million to the committee in recent months and have a combined agenda of tax cuts for the mega-wealthy, election denialism, restricting abortion access, starving Wisconsin’s public schools, and more.
Individuals wealthy enough to kick in more than $1,000 to Marklein’s campaign account for another nearly 20% of the campaign cash he reported raising over the last six months.
“At a time when the state and country are in the midst of a huge affordability crisis, Marklein is getting 84% of his campaign cash from the ultra-rich and well-connected,” noted A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne. “So when Sen. Marklein says he wants to ‘keep investing in our shared priorities’, you have to wonder if he means his billionaire backers. Because his legislative record certainly indicates it’s not the priorities of everyday Wisconsinites.”
Recent reporting documented Marklein has blocked more than 1,600 popular commonsense state budget items from passing in recent years – while voting 98.4% of the time in lockstep with the GOP party bosses who control his campaign cash.
Notable popular items that Marklein has blocked from becoming law include: legalizing marijuana, fully funding our public schools, affordable childcare, raising the minimum wage, paid family leave, BadgerCare expansion, requiring background checks for gun purchases, lowering prescription drug costs, PFAS clean up, and more.
