Walker has $2.6 million for recall fight

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker reported Monday that he raised more than $12 million over the past year and has $2.6 million on hand to fight an effort to recall him from office.

Walker raised $4.5 million alone in the five weeks leading up to the filing of recall petitions on Jan. 17.

The Republican has been raising money at a furious pace, using it to defend his agenda largely through television ads that have been running consistently since the recall efforts began in mid-November. In total, Walker said he raised $12.1 million between Jan. 1, 2011, and Jan. 17 of this year.

That is more than the $11.3 million that he and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who also is being targeted for recall, spent on the entire 2010 gubernatorial race.

The recall effort was spurred by anger over Walker’s first year in office, in particular a law that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers. Supporters of ousting Walker said last week that they submitted 1.9 million signatures to force recall elections against him and five other Republicans.

But until an election is ordered, the state law limiting campaign donations to no more than $10,000 a year from the same person does not apply. That has allowed Walker and the other targeted to raise large sums while petitions have been circulated.

Walker said a report detailing how the money was spent and who made donations would be filed Monday night, the deadline for all involved parties to submit campaign finance reports with Wisconsin election regulators.

A summary of the governor’s report showed that he raised $2 million in the last three weeks of 2011. Over that same three-week period in December, the Democratic Party — which helped lead the recall drive — raised just $333,000. Walker raised another $2.5 million in the first 17 days of this year.

“Gov. Walker’s message of moving Wisconsin forward continues to resonate with voters,” said Walker campaign spokeswoman Ciara Matthews. “It is this message, and the success of the governor’s reforms, that have inspired people to contribute to his campaign in overwhelming numbers.”

Democrats have repeatedly said they do not anticipate being able to match Walker in fundraising. Walker has been crisscrossing the country raising money for the recall, including a trip to New York City last week where he hosted a $2,500-per-person fundraiser with Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, the founder and former CEO of American International Group.

Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski said Walker’s campaign was fueled by “corporate donors from New York and Texas.”

“His values, like his campaign monies, are not from Wisconsin,” Zielinski said.

The Democratic Party reported raising $1.5 million since July, while the Republican Party raised about $1 million.

United Wisconsin, a coalition that formed to support the Walker recall, had not yet filed its report by the close of business Monday. It had until midnight. It previously reported raising $300,000 from July until Dec. 10.

The latest reporting period closed on the same day last week that recall organizers turned in signatures to recall Walker, Kleefisch and four Republican state senators from office.

The Government Accountability Board is reviewing recall signatures to determine if enough were gathered to order recall elections. The board will ask a judge on Wednesday to give it at least 60 days to complete that process.

Two Democrats have announced that they will seek the party’s nomination to take on Walker. They are former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and state Sen. Tim Cullen of Janesville. A number of others are considering running.

The four targeted incumbent GOP senators — Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, Pam Galloway of Wausau, Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls, and Van Wanggaard of Racine — reported having $734,000 cash on hand collectively for the recall fight.

Republicans hold a narrow 17-16 majority in the Senate. That was trimmed by two seats last year after Democrats defeated a pair of Republican incumbents in recall elections. Democrats hope to take the majority through the latest round of recalls, but Republicans are already amassing a big cash advantage.

Jeff Johnson, a Democrat from Wausau who was an active local union leader, is the only announced candidate in any of the Senate recall races, though more were expected to come forward soon.