Democracy First, a shadowy dark money group funded by out-of-state billionaires, is pouring big money to elect Chris Taylor and local liberal candidates, the Heartland Post has learned.
A radical left-wing dark money group is pouring money into liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Chris Taylor’s campaign and supporting other leftist local candidates on the ballot in the Spring Election.
Democracy First PAC, which describes itself as a “pro-democracy” group dedicated to defeating “authoritarian” candidates and safeguarding elections, has spent at least $1,270 on pro-Taylor advertisements and funneled nearly $80,000 to campaign staffers supporting her and dozens of candidates for local office, state records reveal.
Founded in 2021, Democracy First PAC targets races overseeing elections and claims to back “pro-democracy” candidates. In practice, though, it is a radical left-wing dark money machine that labels conservatives “authoritarians” who pose a “danger to our democracy.”
Major funding for the PAC comes from Lynn and Stacy Schusterman, Tulsa-based liberal activists who run the Schusterman Family Philanthropies. They donated $1.3 million to Democracy First during the 2023-2024 election cycle, part of the group’s $4.1 million haul.
Since 2020, the Schustermans have donated $3.29 million to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford.
This year, Democracy First’s spending extends well beyond Taylor. Mailers from Democracy First have promoted local Waukesha candidates Alicia Halvensleben for mayor and Jack Wells and Eileen Micklitz for city council. Its website highlights endorsements of U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan and Democrat congressional candidates Rebecca Cooke and Ben Steinhoff.
Taylor, a former Democratic state lawmaker and Planned Parenthood lobbyist, is running as the liberal candidate against conservative Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar. Taylor’s legislative record has drawn scrutiny from Republicans, who argue her activist background undermines claims of judicial impartiality in the officially nonpartisan race.
Democracy First’s involvement in the race is part of a broader left-wing strategy to maintain liberal control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which shifted left in 2023 and could have a 5-2 liberal majority if Taylor wins next month.
The PAC’s out-of-state funding and focus on “defeating authoritarianism” echo national Democratic efforts to frame election security concerns as threats to democracy as the U.S. Senate debates the SAVE America Act.
Taylor leads Lazar 30%-22% among likely voters in the final Marquette University Law School poll ahead of the April 7th Supreme Court election.
