Tammy Baldwin continues strong fundraising efforts

MADISON - Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin raised more than $3.7 million during the first three months of the year, her campaign disclosed Tuesday as the GOP race took a turn with bitter words between the campaigns.

Baldwin had more than $7.8 million cash on hand at the end of March — putting her far ahead of her GOP rivals. Through last year, she had raised more than $13.7 million, according to federal records.

As Baldwin reported her fundraising totals, the Republicans seeking to replace her — Delafield businessman Kevin Nicholson and state Sen. Leah Vukmir or Brookfield — took swipes at one another.

Nicholson’s campaign recently issued a polling memo critical of Vukmir for her plans to try to lock up the state Republican Party’s endorsement at its convention in May. The memo said Vukmir was relying on the “party establishment” and has a “deep insider status.”

Vukmir shot back Tuesday by saying Nicholson didn’t understand Wisconsin’s GOP grassroots.

“I think it was insulting to the very people who have stood with us through one election after another and have stood with us as we have passed one reform after another,” Vukmir told reporters after appearing at a luncheon hosted by Wisconsin Health News.

She said she was confident she would win the state party’s endorsement.

On Monday, Nicholson announced he raised more than $1 million in the first quarter and had more than $800,000 cash on hand. He has raised more than $2.3 million since entering the race.

Vukmir’s campaign has not announced first-quarter fundraising figures. Last year she raised about $654,000.

Baldwin has already run three TV ads. Vukmir and Nicholson have not yet gone on the air with advertising, although third-party groups have run ads touting their campaigns and attacking Baldwin.

The Baldwin campaign said during the first quarter it received donations from more than 48,000 people, including 25,000 new supporters, with contributions averaging $33 online.

At the forum, Vukmir called for repealing Obamacare and touted her support for bills that didn’t get through the Legislature this session that would have limited research on fetal tissue and barred the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine from helping with teaching how to perform abortions.

“From my own personal perspective, I never shy away from my belief that I am pro-life,” Vukmir said.

She said she supported both bills and was disappointed they did not get through the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Critics contended the measure on fetal tissue could have stalled important research and the one on teaching how to perform abortions could cause the medical school to lose accreditation for its obstetrics and gynecological program.

Vukmir said opponents had offered “red herring arguments” on the abortion bill. She said the most important medical research is not based on work on fetal tissue.

“It’s not coming from fetal tissue; it’s coming from adult stem cells,” Vukmir said of the most important research.

Regarding Obamacare — formally known as the Affordable Care Act — Vukmir said she would like to reduce regulations, provide more choices and give states more flexibility in how they run Medicaid health care programs.

“I’m a firm believer that we need to repeal and replace it,” Vukmir said of Obamacare.

Before she appeared at the forum, her campaign issued a blistering statement over Nicholson’s polling memo that it said was “childish” and “arrogant.”

“Kevin is wrong if he thinks treating dedicated volunteers like garbage is the ticket to winning the Republican primary,” the statement from Vukmir’s campaign said.

Stephan Thompson, the executive director of the Wisconsin Next super PAC backing Vukmir, said in a statement that “Wisconsin Republicans know a phony when they see one.”

“In Kevin Nicholson’s lifelong pursuit of elected office, he’s flip-flopped on abortion, supported Hillary Clinton, claimed to have converted political parties, and now he’s attacking the hardest working grassroots activists in the country,” Thompson said in his statement.

Nicholson campaign spokesman Brandon Moody didn’t back down.

In a statement, he said that “the political establishment in the Madison bubble is trying to rig the game for their pal state Senator Vukmir. And by doing so in such a blatant fashion, they are diminishing the effectiveness of the Republican Party overall. Republican activists should be offended, frankly, at the overt attempt to protect someone who can’t win in November.”