Funds flood governor race

MADISON – Money is flooding into the race for governor, with groups from both sides buying up TV time.

In the newest development, a conservative group is spending $1.8 million to boost GOP Gov. Scott Walker and a liberal group is running about $400,000 worth of ads to help his Democratic opponent, state schools Superintendent Tony Evers.

The latest help for Walker comes from Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin, an arm of the network run by Kansas industrialist Charles Koch. It touts Walker for his spending on schools and notes Evers praised Walker for his education plans.

The $1.8 million in broadcast and digital ads from Americans for Prosperity comes on top of ones by Walker’s campaign, the state Republican Party and the state’s largest business group, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.

Meanwhile, the liberal Greater Wisconsin Committee is spending about $400,000 on spots through Labor Day accusing Walker of lying about Evers and saying Evers pushed for a law to kick teachers out of the classroom for viewing pornography at work.

The ad is in response to a Republican Party ad that criticizes Evers for not revoking a teacher’s license before the law was changed.

Evers won last week’s eight-way Democratic primary. He has not run ads of his own since then.