Get ready for nonstop political ads. A Democratic group announces plan to spend $21 million this fall for Tony Evers

Patrick Marley
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Gov. Tony Evers

MADISON – In the latest sign Wisconsinites will see nonstop political ads this fall, a Democratic group announced Wednesday it plans to spend $21 million on spots supporting Gov. Tony Evers. 

The ad reservation by the Democratic Governors Association comes two months after its Republican counterpart said it would spend $6.2 million on spots for its nominee starting in September. The Republican group has described its plans as initial and said it could spend more.

The Democrats didn't say when their ads would begin running. 

The candidates and other groups will also be spending heavily, guaranteeing an onslaught of ads this fall. 

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Four Republicans are running in the Aug. 9 primary to challenge Evers — former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, construction business co-owner Tim Michels, management consultant Kevin Nicholson and state Rep. Tim Ramthun of Campbellsport. 

Michels, who is funding his campaign with the fortune he has made from Michels Corp., is the latest entrant in the race. He said he was spending nearly $1 million on ads during his first week in the campaign. 

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An outside group supporting Nicholson has been running ads backing him and an arm of the business lobbying group Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce has been running ones critical of Evers. The Wisconsin Initiative has backed up Evers with ads. 

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Evers launched his first ad on Monday and said he would spend $3.5 million through the Republican primary. 

The race in Wisconsin is one of the top priorities for both sides.

The Democratic Governors Association plans to spend nearly $75 million in seven states this fall. The largest chunk — $23 million — is earmarked for the race in Michigan, with the Wisconsin race receiving the second-highest amount. 

"With the stakes higher than ever this November, it is critical that Wisconsin has a leader like Gov. Evers in office for another four years," Christina Amestoy, a spokeswoman for the group, said in a statement.

In response, Republican Governors Association spokeswoman Maddie Anderson said in a statement: "No amount of cash will distract Wisconsin voters from Tony Evers’ disastrous record."

The Democratic Governors Association played an important role in helping Evers win in 2018. He emerged from an eight-way primary that fall with almost no campaign cash. A group set up by the Democratic Governors Association immediately started running ads as soon as the primary was over, assisting him in his bid to unseat Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Contact Patrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.