Wisconsin Recall Gets Record Spending in ‘First Battle’ of 2012 Election

The political balance of power in Wisconsin may shift today as voters in six state Senate districts decide whether to recall a half-dozen Republicans and add fuel to attempts to oust first-term Governor Scott Walker. Spending on the recall campaigns, aimed at six Republicans Aug 9 and two Democrats Aug. 16, may almost triple the combined cost of all 115 state legislative races in 2010, according to the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Costs may approach $40 million, the group said. The record number of recall elections has disrupted a normally apolitical Wisconsin summer, with Republican and Democratic interest groups -- most from outside the state -- spending tens of millions of dollars in television and radio ads that mirror the nation’s political divisions. Spending estimates are rising. Political interest groups registered with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, the state’s elections bureau, reported $14.2 million in spending as of yesterday. At least $14 million in additional spending has come from unregistered groups for television ads and other efforts, said Michael Buelow, research director for the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.