Jill Underly, Deborah Kerr
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin schools superintendent candidate Jill Underly holds a huge money advantage over opponent Deborah Kerr with the election days away, new campaign finance reports show.
Underly, who currently serves as the superintendent for Pecatonica schools, and Kerr, a former Brown Deer superintendent, filed reports Monday evening detailing their fundraising and spending between Feb. 2 and March 22.
The reports show Underly outraised Kerr by a huge margin, generating $1.3 million in contributions between Feb. 2 and Saturday. She spent $818,063 between Feb. 2 and March 22.
Kerr raised only $90,465 between Feb. 2 and Friday. She spent $47,443 between Feb. 2 and March 22.
The superintendent race is officially nonpartisan but liberals have coalesced around Underly and conservatives back Kerr.
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Underly's fund-raising totals were bolstered by $775,000 in contributions from the state Democratic Party in February and March. The party also made $142,827 in in-kind contributions, including mailing services, consulting and research.
Kerr's reports didn't list any contributions from the state Republican Party.
Underly and Kerr will face off in an election Tuesday to replace incumbent Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor. Gov. Tony Evers appointed Stanford Taylor to replace him as superintendent after he won the governor's office in 2018. She decided not to run for election.
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