Candidate Survey – Money In Politics

Wisconsin United To Amend conducted a survey of Wisconsin state Assembly and Senate candidates. The survey was done via email with a link to an online survey form. Emails went to all the 185 candidates starting September 16, 2016. Non-responders were sent at least four emails and called at least once. Calling ended on October 6, 2016. Sixty-eight candidates responded. Their responses can be seen at wiuta.org/survey-data. The breakdown by party is 56 Democrats, nine Independents and three Republicans. Fifteen of the respondents were incumbent Democrats, but there were no incumbent Republicans.

The 68 responders include 56 Democrats, three Republicans, and nine independents. The 117 candidates that didn’t respond includes 35 Democrats, 79 Republicans, and three independents.

The 68 responders include 13 incumbent Assembly representatives and two incumbent senators, while the 117 candidates that didn’t respond includes 76 incumbents in the Assembly and 11 in the Senate.

The survey consisted of four Y/N questions plus an optional comment field. Below are the questions and the results. Totals less than 100% are due to comments.

Q1. Should the U.S. Constitution treat corporations, unions, super PACs and other artificial entities as the legal equivalent of actual human beings?

No: 96%
Yes: 1%

Q2. Should money spent to influence the political process be treated as the legal equivalent of free speech?

No: 99%
Yes: 1%

Q3. Would you support an amendment to the Constitution to clarify that the rights protected therein are those of individual human beings only?

Yes: 93%
No: 1%

Q4. Would you support an amendment to the Constitution to clarify that the spending of money is not free speech, and political spending can be limited?

Yes: 90%
No: 3%