Wisconsin Republican spends $88k in weeks around recall

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The latest round of campaign finance reports show a Republican state representative spent about $88,000 in the weeks before and after the June 5 recall elections.

Democrats forced Republican Sen. Pam Galloway of Wausau into a recall as payback for supporting a plan stripping most public workers of nearly all their union rights. Galloway resigned rather than defend her seat but the election went on regardless. Rep. Jerry Petrowski, a Marathon Republican, ended up beating Rep. Donna Seidel, a Wausau Democrat, for the open seat.

New finance reports show Petrowski spent $88,245 and raised $37,167 between May 22 and June 27. Seidel hadn’t filed her reports as of midday Thursday.