Republicans Lose Another Anti-Trans Smear Campaign
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign was called “the country’s most expensive judicial race,” with more than $45 million spent as of March 30. Those anti-trans ads came from a conservative group called American Principles Project, or APP; its PAC invested at least $796,000 to boost Kelly, as of campaign finance disclosures up to March 17, with the group pouring money into digital ads and peer-to-peer messaging. APP bills itself as “the only national pro-family organization engaging directly in campaigns and elections.” It is one of several conservative groups behind Promise to America’s Children, [politicalresearch.org] an anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion coalition that has been active in pushing anti-trans laws across the United States.”
“The barrage of such attack ads is in part due to the preposterous amount of money drawn to this race, particularly the funds coming from out-of-state donors who recognized the state Supreme Court’s pivotal role in the 2020 election, after Trump’s challenge to the results in Wisconsin failed by one vote. Kelly received major donations from people who had previously funded efforts to overturn the 2020 election (during which Kelly himself advised on the Trump campaign’s “fake elector” scheme). Members of leadership in some of the same groups that have joined [politicalresearch.org] with APP in advancing anti-trans legislation also supported those “stop the steal” efforts, including Michael Farris, head of Alliance Defending Freedom. A Protasiewicz victory has now created a liberal majority on the court, which would imperil such attempts to overturn an election in 2024.”