Billionaire Diane Hendricks contributed $5.5 million of the $6.17 million raised by the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee from July 1 through Sept. 23, campaign finance reports show, as Republicans work to retain control of the Wisconsin Legislature. Hendricks, along with billionaires Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, has given more than $73 million to Republican candidates and committees in 2026, according to a WisPolitics analysis. The three donors’ contributions come as Democrats seek to take seats from Republicans, who have controlled both legislative chambers since 2011. Republicans hold 54 of the 99 Assembly seats and 17 of the 33 Senate seats. Democrats are aiming to keep all their current seats and gain five in the Assembly and at least two in the Senate. Wisconsin limits individual contributions to Assembly candidates to $1,000 and to Senate candidates to $2,000. Donors face no such limit on contributions to party committees, which can spend money on candidates, including through advertising and other in-kind support. The Republican Assembly committee reported spending $9.5 million during the latest reporting period and ending it with $11.16 million in cash. It also provided $4.87 million in in-kind contributions to candidates across the state. The Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee raised $6.01 million over the same period, spent about $3 million and had $5 million remaining. Its largest listed contributors were Wendy Munger, who gave $1 million, and Lynde Uihlein, who gave $250,000. Lynde Uihlein is a family member of the Republican donors. The differences in candidate fundraising and party support are visible in individual races. In Assembly District 85, Republican Rep. Pat Snyder raised $31,870, compared with $84,294 for Democratic challenger John Kroll. But Snyder received $642,899 in in-kind contributions from the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee and the Republican Party of Wisconsin; Kroll received $271,317 from his campaign and Democratic organizations. In Assembly District 88, Republican Rep. Benjamin Franklin raised $20,030, while Democrat Brandy Tollefson raised $53,650. Franklin received $675,043 in in-kind support, more than twice Tollefson’s $307,172. Hendricks was also the leading contributor to the Republican Senate campaign committee, giving it $1.75 million of the $2.28 million it raised. The committee spent $2.6 million and ended the reporting period with $4.96 million. The State Senate Democratic Committee raised $1.24 million, spent $2.03 million and had $1.3 million on hand. Its largest contributions included $500,000 from Sarah O’Neill of New York and $225,000 from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. In Senate District 21, Republican Jim Croft reported raising $1.1 million, with most of it coming from the Republican Senate committee and $15,000 from individual donors. Democrat Trevor Jung raised $816,707, including about $725,000 from the Democratic Senate committee. Both candidates spent about $1 million. In Senate District 5, Democratic Rep. Robyn Vining raised $79,321, while Republican Mike Roberts raised $34,092. Roberts nevertheless received more than $145,000 in in-kind contributions from the Republican Party of Wisconsin and the Republican Senate committee. Will Karcz, spokesperson for the State Senate Democratic Committee, said Wisconsin voters have shown “that their votes cannot be bought by the billionaire donors Republicans rely on to prop up their failing candidates.” Republican Sen. Patrick Testin of Stevens Point has defended the wealthy donors, saying critics overlook money from wealthy out-of-state contributors to Democrats. A Marquette Law School analysis of past legislative races found that money can affect candidate performance but does not guarantee victory. Fellow John Johnson wrote that candidates sometimes win despite being outspent, and argued that spending should be considered alongside how a candidate performs compared with the top-of-ticket candidate in the same district.