Inside the GOP's plan to protect majorities in Wisconsin

The Republican State Leadership Committee is investing funds and launching ads in Wisconsin in an effort to help protect Republicans’ long held majorities in the state Assembly and Senate.

Wisconsin’s state legislative races are in the spotlight this election cycle as new legislative maps adopted this year have created the opportunity for a shift in power for the first time in over 10 years. The RSLC has identified Wisconsin as one of the states where Republican majorities need to be defended and said in early September that it and its affiliated PACs have invested over $34 million this cycle across 21 states with a focus on Wisconsin, Arizona, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. The announcement comes as the group’s Democratic counterpart is boosting Wisconsin Democratic state legislative candidates.

As a part of the effort, the RSLC announced a slate of ads Wednesday it will launch in Wisconsin to target three Democratic candidates running for the state Assembly. Republicans currently hold a 64-seat majority.

RSLC President Dee Duncan said in a statement that the organization’s “top priority these next few weeks is to defend our GOP majorities in battleground states and the best way to play defense is to go directly on offense.”

Duncan said the ad campaign will “make an example” of Democratic candidates in Wisconsin by “holding them accountable.” The organization is launching similar ads in Arizona and New Hampshire.

“We will continue to invest the necessary resources needed through Election Day to defend our majorities across the country and hold the line against extremist Democrats running up-and-down the ballot on November 5th,” Duncan added.

The organization is running ads targeting three Democratic candidates for their views on Wisconsin’s school voucher programs, which allows students to attend private schools at taxpayer expense. Each candidate is running in a competitive district to oust a current Republican lawmaker.

The focus on the choice program is notable as the state Legislature plays an influential role in deciding the shape of education funding. In recent legislative cycles in Wisconsin, lawmakers have chosen to make increasing investments into the state’s voucher program, even as public school funding hasn’t kept pace with inflation and schools are increasingly going to referendum to ask voters to pay additional property taxes to fund school costs.

One ad focuses on Democrat David Marstellar, a health care advocate and former businessman, running against Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek), who was first elected to the Assembly, in the race for the 21st Assembly district. The district covers Oak Creek and parts of Milwaukee and Greenfield.

The ad asks “Who should decide where Wisconsin kids should go to school? Parents or Madison politicians?” It then accuses Marstellar of thinking politicians should decide. It includes a written comment from Marstellar included in Vote411, a voter guide funded by the League of Women Voters Education Fund.

“We need to invest money in our public schools rather than for-profit voucher schools that get to pick their own students. Public education should be guaranteed for every child in our state, and the money should not be diverted to voucher schools,” Marstellar said. “If people want to send their children to private schools, they should pay for it themselves.”

Rodriguez, for her part, has long been an outspoken advocate for Wisconsin’s school voucher program.

Another ad will focus on LuAnn Bird, a former school board member and executive director of Wisconsin’s League of Women Voters, who is running against Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) in the race for the 61st Assembly District. The toss-up district covers the southwestern Milwaukee villages of Greendale and Hales Corners and parts of Greenfield.

The third ad will target Joe Sheehan, former superintendent of the Sheboygan Area School District and executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, who is running against Rep. Amy Binsfeld (R-Sheboygan) in the 26th Assembly district, which represents Sheboygan.

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