Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Bill Schuette raised more than $23 million for their campaigns for governor. And disclosures show that employees of Michigan’s largest companies and some of the state’s largest interest groups helped foot the bill. read more

posted on 12/12/2018

New campaign finance disclosures show that Michigan's candidates for governor raised more than $6 million over the last two months. But outside groups, including a handful of super PACs, are pouring millions more into the race as Election Day nears. When you include spending in the primary, the 2018 race for governor has drawn at least $75 million. read more

posted on 10/26/2018

An estimated $1.7 million in political ads had aired on broadcast TV stations in Michigan as of Monday, March 26, according to an analysis of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filings and of Kantar Media/CMAG ad-tracking data. The total doesn’t include ads airing on cable TV. There have been many of those as well. read more

posted on 03/29/2018

The November election may be 10 months away, but some campaign donors have already made max contributions in support of their preferred candidates for governor. According to a review of fundraising disclosures, about 318 donors contributed the maximum amount allowed to at least one candidate for Michigan governor by the end of 2017. read more

posted on 02/07/2018

The attorney general, the lieutenant governor, the leaders of the state House and state Senate and potential future leaders are among the Michigan officeholders who’ve seen the heaviest support from donors this year. Some of those donors’ individual contributions have reached as high as $75,000. read more

posted on 11/07/2017

Candidates for Michigan governor combined to bring in $71,000 a day on average over the last three months. The primary election they’re collecting money for is still 10 months away, and their early fundraising efforts are out-pacing many of past candidates. read more

posted on 10/26/2017

The top 15 fundraisers serving in state government have combined to attract more than $4.4 million in contributions over the first seven months of 2017. Most of the money has gone to officials’ candidate committees, which collect funds for their own campaigns for offices. But the officials are also raising money for PACs, which help fund other campaigns, nonprofit organizations and administrative accounts. read more

posted on 08/03/2017

Multiple political operatives said this week a candidate for Michigan governor in a competitive primary race in 2018 would likely need about $3 million dollars in funding to contend in the primary alone. Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, a Democrat — all potential candidates — are already on their way to that figure. And former Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has officially begun her fundraising efforts. read more

posted on 01/06/2017