Thanedar Gets One Donation From Detroit In 4Q; More Congressional News

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 02/02/2026) U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit), the deep-pocketed entrepreneur who has financed his entire political career from his own checkbook, reported raising one $2,500 donation from his own district in the Oct. 1-Dec. 31 reporting quarter.

See all the Congressional candidates' campaign finance numbers for the fourth quarter here.

Still, the two-term incumbent has loaned his campaign so much money over the last five years ($11.47 million) that he has far and away the biggest cash on hand total of any Michigan congressional incumbent or challenger ($6.4 million).

Thanedar didn't loan his campaign any additional money in the fourth reporting quarter, according to documents released over the weekend by the Federal Elections Commission.

What made his filing so different than any other incumbent or challenger is how little activity he reported. He raised $25,312 total, 20,100 in the state of Michigan and one $2,500 check from a Detroit contributor.

Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit), considered his most formidable challenger in the Detroit-based 13th Congressional District, raised a respectable $217,045 for the period, giving him $388,553 in cash on hand. Of that total, the plurality came from California ($72,830) while $26,616 came from Michigan and $5,705 from 20 contributors within the district.

With Adam Hollier now out of the 13th Congressional race, no other Democratic possibility for the 13th is reported to have raised more than $10,000.

Barrett's Got The Bucks In MI-7; Lawrence Has Most Local Support

In the 7th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) reported raising $947,036 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, giving him $2.54 million raised for his first reelection bid. He's sitting on $2.195 million in cash on hand, which is more than the combined $1.76 million in cash on hand for the three MI-7 Democratic challengers.

About 13 percent of Barrett's money came from inside the state of Michigan. This quarter, he had contributors from 44 of the 50 states, including contributions from Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.

For the Democratic challengers, each one can claim their own separate win. Former U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine, Bridget Brink continues to raise the most of the three with $526,406 raised between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, giving her $618,938 in cash on hand. She had contributors from 36 states.

Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam raised $373,911 for the period and has $515,605 in cash on hand, putting him among the highest fundraisers among Democratic candidates in competitive seats in the Midwest, according to the campaign.

Local housing advocate William Lawrence raised $133,993 for the period, giving him $227,361 in cash on hand. Of all the MI-7 candidates, Lawrence had the most in-district support. In all, 63 people living in the 7th Congressional District gave $40,114 to his campaign in 4Q, more than any other candidate in MI-7. Maasdam raised $36,038 from 51 people in MI-7. Brink raised $3,351 this quarter from 21 residents in the 7th.

Once you factor out the $53,689 Barrett's PAC gave to his campaign this period and other PAC money that came in the door, Barrett raised $14,404 from inside the district from 31 individuals.

10th District Boiling Down To 3 Competitive Dems, 2 (maybe 3) Republicans

What had been a massive field in the 10th Congressional District to replace gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) has boiled down to three competitive Democratic candidates and two competitive Republicans and possibly a third, based on this weekend's campaign finance reports.

Former Congressional staffer Eric Chung crossed the $1 million mark in total receipts for the cycle, giving him $715,939, which is a little less than the top Republican fundraiser for the cycle, former assistant prosecutor Robert Lulgjuraj, whose $350,218 gave him $765,226.

However, Lulgjuraj's $350,218 was less than the $550,581 GOP primary opponent Michael Bouchard reported for the Oct. 1-Dec. 31 reporting period, Bouchard's first. The military captain had a low burn-rate in his first quarter, allowing him to bank $520,109 going into 2026. A third Republican who is putting some money together is 33-year-old attorney Justin Kirk, who is loaning himself $300,000 for his campaign.

The other two Democrats in the field, former Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel and former assistant prosecutor Christina Hines, raised roughly the same amount for the Oct. 1-Dec. 31 period. Greimel reported $201,476 while Hines reported $226,819. However, Hines had a little higher of a spend-rate than Greimel, allowing the former House Minority Leader to report $480,138 in cash on hand compared to Hines' $258,418.

A review of the campaign finance reports finds that Chung raised all but $17,560 from the last $255,951 he reported out of state. He raised $2,065 from five people in the 10th Congressional District. He received $57,968 from California, $35,250 from New York, $29,880 from Washington D.C. and $17,985 from Massachusetts.

In terms of Michigan money, Bouchard raised the most ($491,390), but a vast majority of it came from Oakland County and nearly all the Oakland County money was out of the district. For example, around $92,000 came from Birmingham and $115,000 came from Bloomfield Township. Bouchard raised $33,082 in the 10th District from 12 district residents.

Lulgjuraj raised more than half ($202,173) of his $350,218 from inside Michigan and $123,308 from the 10th District, the most of any non-self funder in this race. He also had 82 MI-10 residents give to his campaign this period, the most of any other 10th District candidate.

Greimel reported $157,795 raised from Michigan and $37,985 from 36 contributors inside the 10th District. Hines reported $85,127 raised from Michigan and $11,156 from 50 contributors inside the 10th District. She raised $31,175 from Ann Arbor.

Kirk, the new entrant into the race, raised $17,315 from inside Michigan and $10,309 from inside the district that wasn't from him.

Other News Bits From Congressional Filing

- Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) is wrapping up the Democratic nomination in the 4th District with $232,191 for the period and with Jessica Swartz dropping out, but he's still at a large cash on hand disadvantage against U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) ($1.6 million for Huizenga, $259,798 for McCann).

- Republicans still don't have a candidate who raised a penny in 2026 for a challenge against U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) in the 3rd Congressional District. She's sitting on $1.1 million in cash on hand.

- The presumed Republican candidate in the 8th Congressional District is looking at a huge deficit with U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City). Amir Hassam raised $127,327, but has only $65,187 in cash on hand against the freshman Rivet's $2.63 million, a total that is larger than any other congressional candidate outside of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit).

- The 11th Congressional District is looking like a two-horse race for the Democratic nomination between Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield Twp.) and Don Ufford. Moss is sitting on more cash on hand ($510,263) while Ufford ($355,618) raised more money for the period ($175,594) compared to Moss ($153,621).

Ufford, an automotive engineer, raised $129,698 in-state this period compared to Moss's $103,957 and $63,375 in the 11th District compared to Moss's $55,593. However, Moss reported 95 in-district contributors to Ufford's 74.

- Anyone wanting to challenge Tlaib will need to bring a big checkbook. She raised another $426,209 this period, giving her $4.9 million in cash on hand, more than any other congressional candidate or incumbent outside Thanedar.