Outside Of Cox's $2M, Gov Candidates Add Just $1.3M To Their Cash On Hand Totals

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/28/2025) The rigors of running a long campaign caught up to Michigan's gubernatorial field this reporting period, with every major campaign reporting a burn rate of well over 50 percent, with the exception of Mike Cox, who threw his own $2 million into his campaign. 

Taking Cox's $2 million check off the table, the seven remaining big-named gubernatorial candidates netted a combined $1.38 million for their cash on hand totals for the reporting period between July 21 and Oct. 20, based on a review of the reports filed with the Bureau of Elections Monday. 

Had Cox not cut that big check, making it $3.5 million he's given his campaign overall, the $152,539 he raised from others was less than the $218,762 he spent for the period. With his $3.5 million, Cox has the most cash on hand with $3.79 million. 

Cox is the former Republican Attorney General who, from the private sector, successfully helped litigate a settlement for the survivors of the Robert Anderson sex scandal at the University of Michigan. Behind the scenes, observers are wondering if Cox is serious about spending his newfound windfall on a gubernatorial campaign.  

MIRS asked him directly. 

“I'm a risk-taker by nature,” he said. “I swing for the fences. Sometimes I swing and miss, and sometimes I hit a home run. We'll see what happens.” 

Among the rest of the field, Democratic frontrunner Jocelyn Benson had the best filing in terms of adding to her cash on hand (+562,207). Outside of Cox, she had the lowest burn rate of 54 percent. 

Republican John James (R-Shelby Township) raised the most money in raw dollars through his aggressive mail campaign, $1.378 million. He also had the highest number of contributions – 12,558 – from the largest number of people – 8,700 – and largest chunk of Michigan voters – 3,381. 

He also had a 70 percent burn rate, and only added $413,954 to his cash-on-hand rate. That number, however, was still better than Republican opponents Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) (+$159,249) and Tom Leonard (+$100,145). It was also stronger than independent candidate Mike Duggan, who only added to his largesse by $145,510 through his 88% burn rate. 

Going forward, Cox has the largest cash on hand number with $3.79 million, followed by Benson at $2.98 million, Duggan at $2.46 million, James at $2.27 million, Nesbitt at $2.1 million, Leonard at $709,293, Chris Swanson at $385,189 and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II at $378,457. 

Benson reported raising $1.2 million in receipts, spending more than half of it, $649,541, and reporting $2.982 million in cash on hand. For the campaign, Benson has spent 37 percent of the $4.748 million she's earned. 

For the third quarter, the reporting period between July 21 to Oct. 20, Benson reported 7,959 contributions from 4,728 unique individuals. Of those, 2,423 (51 percent) are from Michigan. She received contributions from every state in the union but North Dakota this period. About 8 percent of the people giving to her campaign are from California, 6.5 percent from Connecticut, 3.8 percent from New York, 3.1 percent from Illinois and 3.1 percent from Florida.  

Benson said 94% of her more than 35,000 contributions to date are $100 or less. She also has no corporate PAC money coming in. 

Benson said in her campaign press release that the $4.7 million she's raised is more than any other Democratic gubernatorial candidate in an open seat at this point in the cycle. By comparison, by Oct. 2017, then-candidate Gretchen Whitmer had raised $2.3 million with $1.5 million in the bank. 

"Jocelyn Benson has built her campaign with the steadfast support of teachers, nurses, service workers, and many others who are tired of politicians ignoring the most pressing issues facing working families," said Benson Campaign Manager Nikki Goldschein. "Michiganders want a leader who can fix broken systems and lower the cost of living — and that is Jocelyn Benson." 

Benson reported having $14,433 in her Secretary of State account. She didn't touch that account this quarter. In the last filing period, she forwarded $137,034 to her gubernatorial campaign. 

Her top primary opponent at this point, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II raised $358,797 this period and $1.12 million overall. He's spent $292,535 this period and $748,632 overall, giving him $378,457 in cash on hand, a 67 percent burn rate. 

Gilchrist is not in debt. Also, 62.22 percent of his contributors this period (2,445) came from Michigan, an improvement from last period when it was less than half. Gilchrist reported 7,720 contributions from 4,620 individual people. He's reporting slightly more in-state support this period than Benson. 

Gilchrist had six fundraisers, one in Washington D.C. that raised $21,250 and brought in 27 people, another in New York that brought in $3,400 from 16 people and four from Michigan. His best-attended event was in Farmington Hills, which brought in 110 people and $15,873, but he raised the most from an event in Dearborn that brought in $35,125 from the 23 people who showed up. 

Also on the Democratic side, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson reported going underwater this period, raising $296,878 but spending $380,017. While he's raised $1.36 million for the campaign, he's spent $975,997 of it and only has $385,189 in cash on hand. 

On the plus side, he's not in debt, and 64 percent of the people who gave to him are from Michigan, a total of 338 potential voters, which is a much higher percentage than his July report. He had 6.6 percent come from California, 6 percent from Connecticut and 3.4 percent from New York. 

He raised $124,915 of his money this cycle (42 percent) from four fundraisers, three of which were held in Genesee County.  

Independent candidate Mike Duggan raised another $1.176 million, bringing his total raised to $4.378 million, but he spent nearly everything he raised, $1.03 million, and now has $2.46 million in cash on hand. However, for this period, Duggan's burn rate was 88 percent. 

Of his 945 contributions from 806 individuals, 734 were from Michigan (91 percent). He had 15 from Florida and seven from New York. 

Presumed Republican frontrunner John James reported raising $1.378 million, giving him $3.651 million raised overall, but he spent $964,640 of it for a burn rate of 70 percent for the period and $1.38 million spent overall (an overall burn rate of 37 percent). His cash on hand is $2.27 million.  

James went with his nationwide mail plan which yielded him 12,558 contributions from 8,700 individual people and entities. Of those 8,700, 39% or 3,381 people, gave Michigan addresses. He had 6.7 percent of his contributors from California, 5.5 percent from Florida and 4 percent from Texas. 

However, the Michiganders who gave to James gave considerably more than the out-of-staters. For this period, 66 percent of James's money still came from inside Michigan. 

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt raised $423,810 this period for a total of $2.7 million for the campaign. He spent $264,561 or 62 percent of it and now has $2.1 million in the bank. This period, he raised $135,075 of his contributions from political action committees (PACs), including $48,250 from the Wendzel Will, which has gotten its money from the national GOPAC. 

Nesbitt had 713 contributions from 619 entities, 96 percent coming from Michigan. Nesbitt had four contributions from Washington D.C. and a smattering from other states. 

Mike Cox dropped another $2 million into his campaign this cycle for a combined $3.5 million overall. Outside of his own pocket, he raised $152,539 from July 21 to Oct. 20 from less than 100 contributors, all but nine of which were in-state residents. Around 90 percent of the people who gave to Cox have a Michigan address. Among some of the more notable contributions came from John CARLO of Northville Downs and former Plymouth Township Supervisor Shannon PRICE. Nearly all of the donors he collected were from fundraisers. 

Cox kept expenses at $218,762 for the quarter, giving him $3.79 million in cash on hand. 

Only two of Cox's contributions came from PACs. The first was “Leadership Matters,” a PAC headed by Todd FLOOD, the former lead prosecutor in the Flint Water Crisis. It gave $5,000. The second, the “Red White and Blue PAC” gave $3,250. 

Cox reported $1.38 million raised in the July report, which was Jan. 1 to July 20. 

Tom Leonard reported bringing in $290,630, of which $80,000 came out of his pocket. He's now raised $936,948 for the cycle, spent $227,730 and has $709,293 in cash on hand. Leonard has put a total of $105,610 of his own money into the race, accounting for 11 percent of his total. 

Leonard also used national donors to a greater extent this cycle, getting 43 percent of the people who donated from him out of state. Of the people who donated to his campaign this period, 57 percent were from Michigan, 6.5 percent from Florida, 5.5 from Connecticut, 4.5 percent from California, and 3.7 from Texas. He had donations from people in every state in the country except for six. 

He held six fundraisers, with the biggest being a 65-person gathering he held at his house that raised more than $10,000. All six of his fundraisers were in Michigan. 

Longshot Republican candidate Ralph Rebandt, a pastor by trade, dropped in more than $800,000 of his own money. He raised $124,225 from 65 people, of whom six were from out of state, meaning 91 percent of his contributors have a Michigan address. This was Rebandt's first report. 

Karla Wagner from AxMITax raised $2,875 and spent all but $255 of it. Another long-shot gubernatorial candidate, Anthony Hudson, hadn't filed by 10:40 p.m. 

A Democrat candidate named Kevin Hogan tried to claim he'd raised $1,700, but it's not clear from the report where it came from. Another Democratic candidate, Marni Sawicki, raised $1,350 this period for $14,605 total. She's got $1,324 in the bank. 

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