KOHL HAS MORE MONEY THAN HIS RIVALS FOR 22nd AD SEAT

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com

By Michael Horne

and the Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team

Thanks to loans totaling $100,000 from himself and fairly robust donations of $71,000 from others -- both more than any other candidate -- Dan Kohl has raised -- and spent -- more money than his challengers for the 22nd Assembly District seat, according to his 2008 Fall Pre-Primary campaign finance report filed yesterday, Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 with the State of Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. His expenditures, totaling $131,467, far exceed those of his opponents, and he is the only candidate to have made significant purchases of campaign advice (Nation Consulting Group of Milwaukee a bit shy of $4,000), polling (FMM&A of Californy, $21,375) and mailing consulting (Mammen Group, Washington, D.C. $51,190).
Kohl had $39,000 in cash remaining in his account, which he should be able to supplement with but little inconvenience. Kohl, a 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, was never a practicing lawyer, and voluntarily resigned his license at some point in the past. He spent over a decade with the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, and is now involved in education, hoping to create a $50 million boarding school for at-risk children.
Kohl may be the financial favorite in this primary race of four remarkably qualified candidates, and he is the nephew of U.S. Senator and Bucks owner Herbert H. Kohl. However, there may be some resistance to Kohl's candidacy from those who feel he's aiming for the assembly as a stepping stone to eventually take over Uncle Herb's job. There may be also some concern that he is trying to buy the election with his vast fortune.

Opponent Andy Feldman, a newcomer with impressive credentials including a Harvard PhD. and experience working on the White House Council of Economic Advisers in the Clinton administration, has $20,000 remaining in his campaign chest. He raised $48,987 year-to-date, including a $30,000 loan from himself. Feldman's energetic style and active door-to-door campaigning remind some of a Democrat version of Scott Jensen in his first race for office.

Sandy Pasch, a public health advocate who received more endorsements than the others, including from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, has $1,508 cash on hand, and would have had $300 more if she had not returned $100 contributions each from lobbyist Moira Fitzgerald, former 3rd Aldermanic District candidate Patrick Flaherty, and Peter V. McAvoy. She's raised $45,383 in total, lent herself $13,000 and has spent $53,063.

Guy Johnson, the fourth candidate, President of the Village of Shorewood, and administrator of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee MBA program has $1,652 cash in hand. He raised $5,410 and spent $3,957. He is the only candidate who did not file his campaign finance report electronically, but did so in a paper file. He's also the only Democrat to not lend himself money.

The winning Democrat will face Yash Wadhwa in the November general election. Wadhwa suffers from low name recognition (do you even recognize "Yash Wadhwa" as a name?) and the fact that he is running in a traditionally Democratic district, its suburbanity notwithstanding. The primary is next Tuesday, September, 9th, 2008. The candidates hope to replace Democratic Rep. Sheldon Wasserman, who hopes to unseat Republican Sen. Alberta Darling in the general election.

FUN FACT:
Alberta Darling has invited her supporters to a Victory Kickoff Party Saturday, September 13th, 2008 from 4 - 8 p.m. at River Barn Park in Mequon. Darling, who claims to have a crackerjack knowledge of every door in her district, is a bit off when it comes to locating the park, since her invitation places the park at "8908 N. Cedarburg Road." As far as I can tell, that address belongs to a single family home in the Village of Brown Deer.
You don't have to be Mayor Christine Nuernberg to know that Mequon doesn't even begin until 9600 North! Add 900 to the address Darling gave us, and you should be able to find the event at 9808 N. Cedarburg Road, Mequon., which will feature such attractions as Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., and Rep. Jim Ott. Come to think of it, you might have more fun dropping in at the house of the guy in Brown Deer!
[h/t to Rita Krause Horne of Mequon.]
-- Michael Horne

See for yourself:
080903.Kohl.xls
080903.Feldman.xls
104577-PaschS-PRPF08.xls080903.Johnson.pdf