Chapter 11

11.1001(2)(b)1. 1. A communication, other than an advertisement, appearing in a news story, commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any news organization, unless the facilities are controlled by any committee or candidate.

11.1001(2)(b)2. 2. A communication made exclusively between an organization and its members. In this subdivision, a member of an organization means a shareholder, employee, or officer of the organization, or an individual who has affirmatively manifested an interest in joining, supporting, or aiding the organization.

11.1001(3) (3) Timing. A person who is required to report under this section shall submit the report to the commission no later than 72 hours after the earliest of the following:

11.1001(3)(a) (a) The date the obligation for express advocacy is incurred, if the person has the information required to be reported under sub. (1) (b).

11.1001(3)(b) (b) The date the express advocacy is aired, broadcast, printed, or otherwise disseminated to individuals other than any of the following:

11.1001(3)(b)1. 1. The person, if the person is an individual.

11.1001(3)(b)2. 2. The person’s officers, directors, partners, employees, or volunteers, if the person consists of 2 or more individuals.

11.1001(3)(b)3. 3. The person’s producer, consultant, media production partner, or focus group.

11.1001(3)(c) (c) The date of the disbursement.

11.1001 History History: 2015 a. 117 ss. 24, 74 (1m); 2021 a. 265; 2023 a. 120.

subch. XI of ch. 11 SUBCHAPTER XI

CONTRIBUTIONS

11.1101 11.1101 Contribution limits.

11.1101(1) (1) Individual limits. An individual may contribute to a candidate committee no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination or election the individual supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:

11.1101(1)(a) (a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $20,000.

11.1101(1)(b) (b) Candidates for state senator, $2,000.

11.1101(1)(c) (c) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000.

11.1101(1)(d) (d) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts which contain a county having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000.

11.1101(1)(e) (e) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000.

11.1101(1)(f) (f) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than 300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a population of more than 300,000, $6,000.

11.1101(1)(g) (g) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000.

11.1101(1)(h) (h) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:

11.1101(1)(h)1. 1. Five hundred dollars.

11.1101(1)(h)2. 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, as defined under s. 5.02 (4v) (b) to (d), but not more than $6,000.

Effective date note NOTE: Subd. 2. is shown as amended eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads:

Effective date text 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than $6,000.

11.1101(2) (2) Candidate committees. A candidate committee may contribute to another candidate committee no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination or election the committee supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:

11.1101(2)(a) (a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $20,000.

11.1101(2)(b) (b) Candidates for state senator, $2,000.

11.1101(2)(c) (c) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000.

11.1101(2)(d) (d) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts which contain a county having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000.

11.1101(2)(e) (e) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000.

11.1101(2)(f) (f) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than 300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a population of more than 300,000, $6,000.

11.1101(2)(g) (g) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000.

11.1101(2)(h) (h) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:

11.1101(2)(h)1. 1. Five hundred dollars.

11.1101(2)(h)2. 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, as defined under s. 5.02 (4v) (b) to (d), but not more than $6,000.

Effective date note NOTE: Subd. 2. is shown as amended eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads:

Effective date text 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than $6,000.

11.1101(3) (3) Political action committees. A political action committee may contribute to a candidate committee no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination or election the committee supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:

11.1101(3)(a) (a) Candidates for governor, $86,000.

11.1101(3)(b) (b) Candidates for lieutenant governor, $26,000.

11.1101(3)(c) (c) Candidates for attorney general, $44,000.

11.1101(3)(d) (d) Candidates for secretary of state, state treasurer, state superintendent, or justice, $18,000.

11.1101(3)(e) (e) Candidates for state senator, $2,000.

11.1101(3)(f) (f) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000.

11.1101(3)(g) (g) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts which contain a county having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000.

11.1101(3)(h) (h) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000.

11.1101(3)(i) (i) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than 300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a population of more than 300,000, $6,000.

11.1101(3)(j) (j) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000.

11.1101(3)(k) (k) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:

11.1101(3)(k)1. 1. Four hundred dollars.

11.1101(3)(k)2. 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, as defined under s. 5.02 (4v) (b) to (d), but not more than $5,000.

Effective date note NOTE: Subd. 2. is shown as amended eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads:

Effective date text 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than $5,000.

11.1101(4) (4) Other persons. A person, other than a person subject to sub. (1), (2), or (3) or s. 11.1112, may contribute to a candidate committee no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination or election the committee supports:

11.1101(4)(a) (a) Candidates for governor, $86,000.

11.1101(4)(b) (b) Candidates for lieutenant governor, $26,000.

11.1101(4)(c) (c) Candidates for attorney general, $44,000.

11.1101(4)(d) (d) Candidates for secretary of state, state treasurer, state superintendent, or justice, $18,000.

11.1101(4)(e) (e) Candidates for state senator, $2,000.

11.1101(4)(f) (f) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000.

11.1101(4)(g) (g) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts that contain a county having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000.

11.1101(4)(h) (h) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000.

11.1101(4)(i) (i) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than 300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a population of more than 300,000, $6,000.

11.1101(4)(j) (j) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000.

11.1101(4)(k) (k) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:

11.1101(4)(k)1. 1. Four hundred dollars.

11.1101(4)(k)2. 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, as defined under s. 5.02 (4v) (b) to (d), but not more than $5,000.

Effective date note NOTE: Subd. 2. is shown as amended eff. 7-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 126. Prior to 7-1-25 it reads:

Effective date text 2. Two cents times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than $5,000.

Figure 11.1101:

11.1101 History History: 2015 a. 117, 261; 2017 a. 207 s. 5; 2023 a. 126.

11.1103 11.1103 Applicable periods.

11.1103(1) (1) For an individual who is a candidate seeking reelection to the office that the individual holds, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) apply as follows:

11.1103(1)(a) (a) For a candidate elected to an office at the general election, from the January 1 immediately after the candidate is elected to his or her current term to the December 31 immediately after a successor is elected or the incumbent is reelected.

11.1103(1)(b) (b) For a candidate elected to an office at the spring election, from the July 1 immediately after the candidate is elected to his or her current term of office to the June 30 immediately after a successor is elected or the incumbent is reelected.

11.1103(2) (2) For an individual who is a candidate for an office that the individual does not hold, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) apply as follows:

11.1103(2)(a) (a) For an individual seeking election to an office at the general election, from the date on which the individual becomes a candidate to the December 31 immediately after the election.

11.1103(2)(b) (b) For an individual seeking election to an office at the spring election, from the date on which the individual becomes a candidate to the June 30 immediately after the election.

11.1103(3) (3) For an individual seeking election to an office at a special election, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) apply from the date on which the individual becomes a candidate to the 22nd day after the election. If the individual is elected at the special election, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) apply from the 23rd day after the special election to the end of the applicable period under sub. (1).

11.1103 History History: 2015 a. 117; 2021 a. 265.

11.1104 11.1104 Exceptions. Except as provided in subs. (3) (b) and (4) (b) and s. 11.1112, the following contributions may be made in unlimited amounts:

11.1104(1) (1) Contributions to a political action committee.

11.1104(2) (2) Contributions transferred between political action committees.

11.1104(3) (3) 

11.1104(3)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), contributions to a legislative campaign committee.

11.1104(3)(b) (b) A political action committee or a person subject to the limits under s. 11.1101 (4) may contribute no more than $12,000 in any calendar year to a legislative campaign committee.

11.1104(4) (4)