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Though U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin won’t be facing a Democratic challenger in the August primary, it hasn’t stopped her from fundraising more than $1 million in just three months in order to keep her seat in Congress.
And U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Waterford Township, has pulled ahead of U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township, in terms of fundraising this quarter in what is expected to be a hotly contested incumbent-on-incumbent primary in the 11th U.S. House district this August.
Slotkin, D-Holly, and Stevens are just some of the high-dollar fundraisers in races expected to have either a highly competitive primary this August or general election this November in Michigan. Data gathered from the most recent campaign finance quarter, which spans from April through the end of June, will be the last glimpse voters get into the spending and fundraising habits of candidates until after the primary.
They aren’t the only ones with must-watch races, however. Here’s a breakdown of fundraising totals in several of Michigan’s congressional races where primary or general races are expected to be competitive:
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IN THE 7TH U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT: Slotkin reported bringing in more than $1.5 million in fundraising from April through the end of June, ending the second quarter of the year having spent $558,020. That still leaves her with an impressive amount, more than $6.5 million, still on hand to spend in the run up to November.
She will not face a Democratic primary opponent, though is set to take on Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, come November.
For his part Barrett reported raising $607,957 and ended the period with $439,049 still left on hand. He later filed two additional forms indicating that he’d raised another cumulative $13,600 following the filing deadline, bringing his total funds raised to $621,557.
In total, Barrett has raised about $1.39 million since the start of the election cycle compared to Slotkin’s $6.83 million.
IN THE 8TH U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT: U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, is in the same boat as Slotkin in the sense of not having a primary opponent. And, similar to her, Kildee also reported fundraising in the millions during this fundraising quarter.
In his July report, Kildee brought in $1.16 million and ended the quarter with just under $3.3 million left to spend in the campaign season. He could face off against one of four Republicans come November, all of which are at a sizable disadvantage when it comes to fundraising and money left to burn.
Matthew Seely, owner of a business that specializes in forging custom steel parts, was the closest to Kildee in terms of funds raised in the most recent period. He reported fundraising $522,302 this quarter while spending $58,888, leaving him with just under $463,414 still on hand.
However, Seely also reported giving a $475,000 personal loan to his campaign, meaning he actually only fundraised $47,302 this quarter.
Paul Junge, a candidate against Slotkin in the 2020 election cycle and former employee with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Trump Administration, raised $196,940 for the quarter. Similar to Seeley, he also reported giving himself a $150,000 loan this quarter meaning that he, too, only raised about $46,940. His total funds raised for the campaign cycle now sit at roughly $1.4 million, and Junge ended the period with $701,982 still to spend.
There is still one more Republican in the race, Candice J. Miller, though as of Monday, July 18, she had yet to submit a quarterly fundraising report with the Federal Election Commission. Forms were due Friday, July 15.
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IN THE 10TH U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT: John James, a two time U.S. Senate Republican candidate, is drastically outpacing his Democratic competitors according to fundraising reports which put him at having netted around $2 million in the most recent fundraising period. With more than $2.4 million still left to spend, and nearly $3.6 million raised to date, it puts James in prime position to be the Republican nominee for the 10th U.S. House district race.
He will face off against Tony Marcinkewciz in August, who reported raising just $11,170 in the recent quarter. He enters into the primary contest with $6,165 still left in the bank.
Finances among the district’s Democratic candidates are a bit more evenly matched, however. Of the five candidates in that contest - Huwaida Arraf, Carl Marlinga, Rhonda Powell, Angela Rogensues and Henry Yanez - Rogensues, Arraf and Marlinga reported fundraising similar dollar amounts at $120,147, $113,117 and $109,556, respectively.
Rogensues, president of the public relations firm Ignition Media Group, also leads between those three with regard to cash still left to spend at $85,396. She’s followed closely by Arraf, a a Palestinian American activist and lawyer, at $80,943 with some space between she and retired Federal Appeals Court Judge Marlinga, who still has $43,294 in money to burn.
After those three comes former Yanez, a former state representative, who reported raising $30,673 and ending the period with $4,424 left in the bank, followed closely by Powell, who reported raising $22,207. Statewide operations director for We The People MI, Powell has the least amount left to burn of the five Democratic candidates at $5,307 in cash on hand.
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IN THE 11TH U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT: In a hotly-contested incumbent-on-incumbent primary in the 11th U.S. House district, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens took in nearly twice as much as U.S. Rep. Andy Levin.
Stevens received about $1 million, which more than a third of that total having been fundraised by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a stridently pro-Israel group with deep-pocketed supporters. Levin raised about $555,000.
Both have been quickly burning through their campaign cash, spending around twice as they raised. Stevens spent nearly $2 million from April through June, while Levin spent about $900,000 as she faces U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township.
When it comes to outside help the balance is truly in Stevens’ favor. According to advertising totals provided by MCFN, Super PACs representing AIPAC and Emily’s List have spent nearly $4.2 million helping Stevens through election day. The progressive pro-Israel group, J Street, and a super PAC called Future Progress have spent a combined $960,000. When including the money their campaigns have spent on advertising, Stevens spending advantage on television is still more than three-to-one.
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IN THE 12TH U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT: U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib continued fundraising similar to the prior quarter, reporting $486,016 in fundraising for the year’s second quarter.
She has, however, more than tripled her spending between this period and the last, having doled out $963,425. She ends the period with more than $1.14 million still on hand, giving her a sizable war chest in the run up to the primary.
It’s one that her three other Democratic opponents will have a hard time contending with given their own reported finances.
Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, thought to be Tlaib’s topmost competitor, reported raising far less than the incumbent at just $58,290. Only about $17,500 was directly fundraised by her, with the rest coming from the Pro-Israel America PAC. Her reported spending sits at $133,640, leaving Winfrey with just under $145,328 still left on hand.
Shanelle Jackson, a former member of the Michigan House from 2007 until 2013, was the lone Democratic candidate to not have a fundraising report ready as of Monday. She also did not submit one last quarter, though she was not required to at that time as she had recently announced her candidacy.
Three Republicans – Steven Elliott, James Hooper and Hassan Nehme – will also square off in August. Of the lot, only Elliott and Hooper filed, with the former reporting $2,636 in funds raised and the latter just $423. Nehme did not have a fundraising report submitted as of Monday.
Given the heavy Democratic lean of the newly drawn district, its understood that whoever wins the Democratic primary is likely to go on and represent the district.
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IN THE 13TH U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT: This is the largest field of any primary race in Michigan, with nine Democratic candidates each vying for the nod in the 13th U.S. House district.
Outside of Thanedar running, the field also comprises Sen. Adam Hollier, D-Detroit; former Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo; Michigan Civil Rights Commission Chair and CEO of Focus Hope Portia Roberson; lawyer and educator Michael Griffie; former Detroit City Council member and attorney Sharon McPhail; Political Director of the Michigan National Action Network Sam Riddle; small business owner Lorrie Rutledge; and John Conyers III, co-founder of the Next Generation board of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services and son of former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, Jr.
Though Thanedar was the top fundraiser, bringing in $3 million for the period, all of his fundraising was through donations from personal funds. He is going into the primary with nearly $2.2 million still left to spend, having garnered more than $8.1 million since the start of his congressional campaign.
Hollier, however, was the next highest fundraiser of this Democratic primary. He netted a total of $412,983 from more than 800 different donations and was followed by Roberson, who reported raising $170,832 from 357 donors. While Hollier is heading into the primary with $371,043 left in the bank, Roberson reported having $141,612 still on hand.
After those three, who are widely considered to be the forerunners of the contest, there is a sharp drop-off in terms of funds raised and money left to spend. This includes:
Whoever wins come August 2 will go on to face Martell Bivings, the lone Republican in the race. Bivings reported fundraising $16,917 in the most recent quarter, going into the election with $4,945 left to spend. Much like in the 12th U.S. House district, its expected that whoever wins the Democratic primary is likely to go on and represent the district.
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