Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman Devin Remiker highlighted a massive fundraising discrepancy ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election next month.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker is highlighting his party’s February fundraising results ahead of the April 7 Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
Excluding non-federal transfers, Democrats still led with $525,846 compared to $83,316. Remiker described this as momentum and noted the next state filing is due March 30.
The disparity is real, and the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s FEC filing backs it up. The latest monthly report shows the GOP pulled in exactly $167,242.25 in total receipts. That breaks down to $80,718.53 from individual contributions, plus $83,925.71 in non-federal transfers and minor offsets. Federal receipts alone came to $83,316.54. Disbursements totaled $167,575.09, leaving cash on hand virtually flat at $597,404.02.
Democrats, meanwhile, enjoyed fundraising totals nearly nearly nine times that. While Remiker credits “grassroots” energy, the pattern points to something else: heavy dependence on a handful of ultra-wealthy out-of-state donors who can write seven-figure checks without limit.
Reid Hoffman leads the way. The LinkedIn co-founder and Silicon Valley billionaire is, by far, the largest donor to the Wisconsin Democratic Party over the past decade. State campaign finance records confirm he has given more than $15.4 million since 2019—dwarfing the second-place donor ( Ultra-progressive billionaire Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at roughly $5.9 million). Hoffman’s money flows directly into the state party, which then funnels it into races up and down the ballot.
The Democratic Party continues to ignore the baggage that comes with Hoffman’s donations. Court documents and recently released Justice Department files detail his visits to Jeffrey Epstein’s properties after Epstein’s 2008 sex offender conviction.
Hoffman traveled to Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2014, stayed at Epstein’s New York townhouse, exchanged gifts, and discussed possible trips to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico. Emails indicate ongoing contact into 2016 and beyond, after Hoffman initially stated their relationship ended in 2015, and while Epstein was under investigation for sex trafficking.
In an era of unlimited soft money, Wisconsin Democrats’ nine-fold February edge isn’t just organizing—it’s the predictable result of courting billionaires whose personal histories raise legitimate questions. GOP fundraising lags because it leans more on smaller in-state donors and lacks equivalent ultra-wealthy out-of-state donors. When one Epstein-linked donor towers over all others, “grassroots” starts to look like a convenient label for something else entirely.
