Dark money-funded mailers identify Republican-backed superintendent candidate Brittany Kinser as a Democrat

A dark-money group identified state superintendent candidate Brittany Kinser as a Democrat in mailers, despite her campaign being largely backed by Republicans.

Charter Schools Action Fund paid about $40,000 for mailers encouraging voters to "Vote Democrat Brittany Kinser" for state superintendent in the April 1 election, according to state campaign finance reports. The incumbent in this race, Jill Underly, is a Democrat who has received about $1 million from the state Democratic Party.

Kinser calls herself a moderate who has voted for politicians from both parties. She volunteered for Barack Obama in 2008, then became disillusioned with him. Her campaign donation history shows her supporting candidates on both sides of the aisle, from Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin to former Republican legislator Dale Kooyenga.

"I didn't fit into this box," she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how she entered the race without a party's support.

The state Republican Party has since jumped on board with Kinser, funneling nearly $2 million to her campaign. She has appeared alongside conservative state Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel at campaign events and participated in events sponsored by the conservative Turning Point Action.




https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/03/27/mailers-call-state-superintendent-candidate-brittany-kinser-a-democrat/82670937007/