MADISON - Last week saw two new polls on the Wisconsin Senate race – a new Marquette University Law School poll and a Public Policy Polling survey.

The results of both polls look much like the results from 17 other public polls on this race.

• Russ Feingold is leading Senator Johnson

• He’s ahead 51-42 among likely voters in Marquette

• He’s ahead 51-41 in PPP

But there’s one big difference this time.

Since the conclusion of Wisconsin’s spring elections and presidential primary in April, outside groups have moved into Wisconsin in a very big way.

• The outside conservative groups Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners Action Fund, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Let America Work and Judicial Crisis Network have all run TV ads either attacking Russ Feingold or promoting the Koch Brothers’ “model legislator” Senator Johnson.

• These outside groups have outspent the Feingold campaign by a margin of 5 to 1, bringing nearly $5 million in corporate and special interest money into the race on behalf of Senator Johnson.

A $5 million corporate and special interest-funded advertising blitz is a pretty major investment. And we’re sure both the Koch brothers and Senator Johnson expected to see some returns.

But, as the Cap Times reported: after nearly $5 million in false and misleading dark money attacks on Senator Johnson’s behalf, his allies have failed to move the needle in Johnson’s favor. In the face of a relentless ad blitz by the Koch network and other outside groups, Russ has actually extended his lead amongst likely voters by 6 points since the last MU poll: 51-42.

It’s been widely reported that Senator Johnson has essentially outsourced his own campaign to groups from outside of Wisconsin in the hopes their money can breathe life into his low-energy campaign. If these early reports are any indication, that outsourcing is working as well for the senator as his outsourcing policies have worked for the people of Wisconsin.

Of course, if the Koch brothers can’t keep Senator Johnson in Washington, he can always ride Donald Trump’s coattails.