With only nine days until the Democratic primary for the recall election of Gov. Scott Walker, leading candidates Tom Barrett and Kathleen Falk released their campaign finance figures Friday, showing Falk has raised $250,000 more since announcing her candidacy.
Milwaukee Mayor Barrett raised $750,000 in just 28 days of official campaigning, while former Dane County Executive Falk raised about $1 million since she entered the race Jan. 18.
Barrett for Wisconsin Communications Director Phil Walzak said in a statement Friday that 99 percent of the contributions are from individual donors who live within the state.
“In a little more than three weeks, thousands of people, the vast majority from Wisconsin, have rallied around Tom Barrett’s vision of bringing our state together, focusing on jobs instead of ideology, and ending the political turmoil caused by Scott Walker’s partisan warfare,” said Walzak.
Barrett had about $500,000 on hand when he entered the race, giving his campaign a total of about $1.25 million.
A poll released by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling earlier this month shows Barrett has the support of 38 percent of likely primary voters compared to 24 percent for Falk. The other candidates in the race, state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, and Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette, lag far behind Barrett and Falk.
But Falk has raised more money than Barrett since declaring candidacy and has received endorsements from influential unions throughout the state, including Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, the state’s largest teachers’ union WEAC and Emily’s List.
In an effort to give Falk a boost going into the primary, Wisconsin For Falk, an independent, union-backed group announced last week it would spend an additional $1 million on advertisements leading up to the May 8 election. The same group has already spent over $2 million throughout the primary season for Falk.
Official campaign finance reports are due Monday.
