Congressional incumbents seeking to move up to the Senate or their local governor’s mansion have long had a unique advantage: they can roll over donations made by Federal Political Action Committees (PACs) to run for the new office. This quasi-incumbent status fails an intuitive test of fundamental fairness since politicians are using donations they got running for one office to seek a promotion instead. Mark Green is a prime beneficiary of this loophole in 2006.

Well, in the great state of Wisconsin, this process has apparently come to an end. By a 5-2 vote, The Wisconsin Board of Elections has ruled any donations by Federal PACs not registered in Wisconsin at the time of the donation constitute illegal donations. The shrill cry of partisanship from the Green campaign was predictable. Yet it is too early for Democrats to celebrate: Green claims the money has already been spent and it may be difficult to recoup PAC funds from the Green campaign. Nevertheless, this can’t make Mark Green’s brutal battle to knock out Jim Doyle any easier.