ELECTIONS

Special interest group spending tops $1 million in Wisconsin schools superintendent race

Rory Linnane
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin state school superintendent candidates, Deb Kerr and Jill Underly

Special interest groups have spent more than $1 million, mostly on attack ads, weighing in on the April 6 election for Wisconsin's next superintendent of schools, according to tracking by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

It's more than has ever been spent on influencing a superintendent race in the state. The previous high, according to WDC research director Mike Buelow, was $693,700 in 2009, the year that now-Gov. Tony Evers was first elected to the schools office. 

Most of the special interest spending in this race, $797,600, was by left-leaning groups supporting Jill Underly, superintendent of the Pecatonica School District, and opposing Deborah Kerr, former superintendent of Brown Deer Schools. Spending included: 

  • A Better Wisconsin Together spent $78,000 on digital ads for Underly and $700,000 on TV ads against Kerr.
  • Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin spent $16,295 on ads, text messages and robocalls for Underly
  • The political action committee for Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) Region 7, representing Madison-area educators, spent $110.76 on postcards for Underly.

Only one group swung the other way: The American Federation for Children, a national group previously chaired by voucher advocate Betsy DeVos, spent $209,000 on online ads against Underly. 

Learn more:Voter's guide to state superintendent race

Though the superintendent position is technically nonpartisan, the candidates have clashed on political issues including school choice programs, which offer tax-funded vouchers for students from low-income families to attend private schools.

Kerr has touted support for school choice, and she has been backed by conservative and voucher-supporting groups. Underly has said she opposes expansion of these programs. Her campaign has been heavily funded by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and unions. 

This election marks the first time the voucher supporting American Federation for Children paid for ads in a Wisconsin superintendent race, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Journal Sentinel reporter Molly Beck contributed to this report. 

Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane.