LANSING, Mich. (MIRS News) – In a classic case of too little too late, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon outraised Gov. Gretchen Whitmer 2:1 in the last two weeks of this cycle’s campaign, but, in the end, the Democratic incumbent still outraised her opponent $38 million to $8.8 million, based on numbers compiled by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN).
The post-general election campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State Thursday showed Dixon raised $2 million between Oct. 24 and Nov. 28, when many traditional Republican donors such as John Rakolta, Eileen Weiser, Nancy Kennedy and Mark Meijer maxed out to Dixon.
MORE NEWS: Train Crash Kills One in Kalamazoo
By comparison, Whitmer’s team raised $1.16 million in this stretch, but, by Oct. 24, she had already spent $30 million of the $36.4 million she had raised.
When adjusted for inflation, Dixon raised less than any Republican gubernatorial candidate since John Engler’s $3.65 million 1998 re-election bid.
Overall, Dixon’s $8.8 million is slightly over the nearly $6 million Republican Dick Posthumus raised in his 2002 gubernatorial race, based on MCFN data. In today’s dollars, Posthumus raised $9.94 million.
The GOP’s 2006 nominee, Windquest Group CEO Dick DeVos raised $42.5 million, of which most came from his own pocket.
Former Gov. Rick Snyder, also independently wealthy, raised $12 million in 2010 and $13.1 million in 2014. The 2018 nominee, former Attorney General Bill Schuette, reported raising $10 million, according to the MCFN.
In other news from Thursday’s reports:
MORE NEWS: Bus Service Adds More Stops Between Detroit and Mt. Pleasant
– Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson set a new fundraising record for a Secretary of State candidate by raising $5.3 million for her re-election bid. Republican opponent Kristina Karamo raised $1.28 million.
In the reporting period ending Nov. 28, Benson’s committee raised more than $207,000, of which 98% were contributions of $100 or less. She finished her campaign with less than $600,000 in cash on hand.
– Attorney General Dana Nessel outraised Republican Matt DePerno $5.79 million to $1.4 million in what was a record-breaking haul for an Attorney General candidate.
Nessel raised $1.97 million in her 2018 bid. She has $107,713 in terms of her final cash on hand, while DePerno has $76,758.
By comparison, Whitmer has $2.3 million left in her campaign account, Dixon has $741,212, Benson $598,666 and Karamo $50,016.
– All of the four major-party Supreme Court justice candidates raised roughly the same amount of money based on the post-general report.
Incoming Justice Kyra Bolden raised the most with $1.14 million, incumbent Justice Brian Zahra raised $997,484, Republican candidate Paul Hudson raised $834,641 and incumbent Justice Richard Bernstein was at $730,255.
– Reproductive Freedom For All, the group supporting a yes vote on Proposal 3, raised twice that of the no-Proposal 3 group, Citizens to Support MI Women and Children, $44.3 million to $20.7 million.
– Promote the Vote 2022, the key group pushing a yes vote on the voting expansion initiative supporting Proposal 2, raised $20.5 million. Those supporting a yes on Proposal 1, Voters For Transparency and Term Limits, raised $1.3 million while “No More Time For Career Politicians” raised $66,894.
Leave a Comment
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.