General elections for all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly will take place on Nov. 8, 2022. State assembly primary elections were held on Aug. 9, 2022. Republicans hold a 57-38 majority heading into the election.

This article details the five candidates in each party who raised the most money and lost their primary election. In the 2022 election cycle, 23 of 89 Republican primaries and eight of 84 Democratic primaries were contested. The losing candidates are shown along with the percentage of the vote they received compared to the primary winner. In cases where the race was pushed to a runoff, vote percentages for both advancing candidates are included.

Top fundraisers with unsuccessful primary campaigns this cycle

This information comes from candidate reports to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission covering the period of Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2022.

The Democratic candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary were:

• Andrew Hysell – $77,546 – District 46 (Lost primary 18% – 36%)
• Bryan Kennedy – $38,865 – District 10 (Lost primary 42% – 58%)
• Syed Abbas – $38,343 – District 46 (Lost primary 22% – 36%)
• Chad Kemp – $29,819 – District 80 (Lost primary 19% – 48%)
• Anna Halverson – $26,621 – District 80 (Lost primary 27% – 48%)

The Republican candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary were:

• Adam Steen – $68,583 – District 63 (Lost primary 49% – 51%)
• David Karst – $25,875 – District 84 (Lost primary 21% – 73%)
• Mike Honold – $21,298 – District 61 (Lost primary 43% – 57%)
• Scott Luostari – $20,435 – District 73 (Lost primary 42% – 58%)
• Pat Goldammer – $19,651 – District 83 (Lost primary 42% – 58%)

Top fundraisers with unsuccessful primary campaigns last cycle

This information comes from candidate reports to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission covering the period of Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2020.

The Democratic candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary in 2020 were:

• Lindsay Lemmer – $48,805 – District 48 (Lost primary 35% – 49%)
• Staush Gruszynski – $48,689 – District 90 (Lost primary 21% – 79%)
• Heather Driscoll – $45,810 – District 76 (Lost primary 16% – 28%)
• Walt Stewart – $42,130 – District 48 (Lost primary 11% – 49%)
• Dewey Bredeson – $38,870 – District 76 (Lost primary 1% – 28%)

The Republican candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary in 2020 were:

• Lauri Asbury – $71,177 – District 55 (Lost primary 24% – 58%)
• Neil Kline – $50,376 – District 29 (Lost primary 32% – 38%)
• Michael Smith – $13,566 – District 69 (Lost primary 16% – 53%)
• Linda Boucher – $13,314 – District 14 (Lost primary 19% – 69%)
• Gary Will – $11,013 – District 41 (Lost primary 20% – 49%)

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Wisconsin PACs submitted to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Federal PACs are not required to report to state agencies. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.