Conservative PAC Funds Green Party Mailers In MI-4; Anti-Rogers Effort Reports $4.87 Spend
(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/26/2026) A conservative-backed super PAC is promoting a Green Party alternative to Democrat Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) in Michigan's 4th Congressional District, as McCann attempts to unseat U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) in one of the state's most competitive seats.
A political action committee (PAC) called the Progressive Champions PAC is paying for the flier that lifts MI-4 Green Party candidate Shafina Barnett.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) reports show at least $123,738 has been spent on her behalf to date. However, reports also show the Conservative Americans PAC donated more than $1.5 million to Progressive Champions.
John Clark, a Western Michigan University professor who received one of the Progressive Champions PAC mailers, said promoting minor-party candidates can influence close elections by drawing votes away from a major-party contender.
"It's not illegal, but I think it's helpful for voters when we shine a light on those kinds of activities," Clark said.
Clark said in close elections anything can make a big difference. A few votes going from one side to another or drained off by a minor party can make the difference.
Clark pointed to Ralph Nader in 2000, who ran as a Green Party nominee, but he didn't have a traditional Green Party political background. The presidential election came down to less than 1,000 votes in Florida. If Nader hadn't run, some of those voters could have gone to Democrat Al GORE, which could have flipped that close race.
"The potential is there for that sort of spoiler effect. I don't think that's necessarily a problem. The candidates are carrying the mantle of those minor parties," Clark said.
He said he received a flier in the mail in support of the Green Party candidate against McCann and quickly found it was a Republican-fronted organization.
"They're doing so basically trying to trick and manipulate voters, and I'm not especially fond of those practices. Certainly, both parties have done it and probably will continue to do it in the future, but the fact of the matter is, those are not good faith efforts to try and influence the elections," Clark said.
Meanwhile, a separate effort appearing to target Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, appears to be all bark and no bite.
StarkFreedom PAC, founded by New Hampshire activist Aaron Day, sent out numerous press releases in the last few weeks pledging to spend up to $2.5 million in internet-based ads promoting U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee Tim Long in the U.S. Senate race.
Day's stated goal was to foil the efforts of Rogers and other Republicans in competitive U.S. Senate seats by lifting conservative third-party candidates.
"A Republican who is done with Mike Rogers has Tim Long on the ballot. We fund the margin. It costs the GOP the Senate," Day said.
For his part, Long welcomed the help.
"I think it's great," Long told MIRS tonight. "Actually, I've done everything I can to get media attention. I got thrown out of an Abdul event. If this helps draw attention to my campaign, that's great."
However, FEC filings, including one submitted Sunday, show the committee reported spending $4.87 on Facebook ads supporting Long and $1,401.59 overall this cycle on Facebook and X ads promoting third-party candidates.
Long is the U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee for U.S. Senate. The Michigan party is affiliated with the national Constitution Party and traces its roots to Bob Tisch's tax-cutting movement in the early 1980s.
MIRS found that the closest U.S. Senate race, in percentage, since the founding of the U.S. Taxpayers Party was U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) against Rogers. Slotkin received 48.64% of the vote and Rogers 48.30%. The U.S. Taxpayers received 0.74%, and the Green Party candidate received 0.97% of the vote.
The largest percentage of votes ever received by the U.S. Taxpayers Party in the last seven election cycles was in the U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Oakland County) race against Terri Lynn Land in 2014. Richard Matkin received 1.20%.
Peters was also in a close race against Mike Cox for Michigan attorney general in 2002. Peters lost the race by 5,400 votes, 48.86% to 48.69%. Jerry Kaufman ran for the Green Party and got 1.56% of the vote, while the U.S. Taxpayers Party's Gerald Van Sickle got 0.89% of the vote.
