(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/31/2024) The two political action committees attached to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer raised more than $3 million to dump into different Democratic races during the 2024 presidential election, and one was giving to the special election held Tuesday.
Whitmer’s Fight Like Hell PAC on the federal level raised $1,845,436 for the quarter and $2,017,038 for the year, with 85% of the 1,367 donations being under $1,000. Of that amount raised, 63% of the total came from those giving $1,000 or more. The PAC has spent $641,164 for the quarter and $647,041 for the year. The PAC has $1,369,997 in cash on hand.
In the Fight Like Hell PAC, 38.5 percent of those who contributed were from Michigan, 15 percent were from California, 7 percent from New York and the rest from various other states in the country.
“I am thrilled that people who want to see their rights protected, their costs lowered, and jobs created in their communities, stepped up to help us ensure that President Biden, Vice President Harris and Democrats up and down the ticket win this November,” Whitmer said.
The PAC gave $47,900 to reelect the president, but that wasn't the only Democratic campaign that saw Whitmer money.
The Curtis Hertel Jr. campaign received $1,000, along with Dan Kildee (D-Flint), before his retirement was announced. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) received donations in August and December.
The PAC also gave to Democratic campaigns in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Nevada, Minnesota, and New York.
Whitmer’s Building Bridges PAC raised $72,289 for the quarter and $1,061,691 for the year.
The largest contributions have come from the Health Alliance Plan PAC, which gave $10,000, and Michigan Bankers Association PAC, which has given a total of $11,500. The Michigan State Police Troopers Association, Automobile Club of Michigan, Meijer Political Action Committee, and General Motors PAC have given $5,000. Quentin MESSER Jr., the Michigan Economic Development Corporation executive director, also gave to the PAC.
The PAC had spent $98,328 for the quarter and $347,234 for the year.
The PAC has so far given $12,250 to Mai Xiong and Andrea Rutkowski, who were both in the primary for the special election Tuesday. Xiong made it through in House District 13, while Rutkowski lost to Peter Herzberg in House District 25 (See “Xiong Wins Dem Primary In HD-13; Five Detroit Precincts Saw 1 Voter Each All Day,” 1/30/24).
The PAC has also given $5,000 to Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), Carol Glanville (D-Grand Rapids), Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights), Denise Mentzer (D-Mount Clemens), Jim Haadsma (D-Battle Creek) and Jaime Churches (D-Wyandotte). Also $2,500 was given to Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), Angela Witwer (D-Lansing), Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac), Jason Hoskins (D-Southfield), John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming), Reggie Miller (D-Belleville) , Jenn Hill (D-Marquette), Jasper R. Martus (D-Flushing), the Tri-City Leadership PAC, Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor), and Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph).
There were also two fundraisers for the PAC during the quarter, with $88,050 raised from 110 people at a private event in Ann Arbor on Oct. 22 and $20,200 raised from a private event attended by 14 people in Okemos.
The leadership PAC has $748,353 cash on hand going into the 2024 election year.
The Jocelyn Benson linked Michigan Legacy raised $592,432 for the quarter and $1,225,786 across 2023. It spent $164,480 in the quarter and $175,178 for the year. The PAC has $1,050,608 in cash on hand.
The PAC has given $48,875 to both the House and Senate Democratic Fund. It has given $5,000 to Denise Mentzer (D-Mount Clemens), Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights), Reggie Miller (D-Belleville), Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), Jaime Churches (D-Wyandotte), Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph), Jenn Hill (D-Marquette), and Carol Glanville (D-Grand Rapids). Also $1,225 has gone to the campaigns for Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing), Phil Skaggs (D-Grand Rapids), and Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn).
Dana Nessel’s leadership PAC hasn’t been as active, with only $84 raised for the quarter and $1,371 raised for the year.
A total of $75 had been spent by the Dana Nessel Leadership Fund in 2023. There are $2,461 in the coffers.
