Whitmer sitting on $14.9M as Republicans spend heavily in GOP primary

LANSING — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has raised nearly twice as much money as all five Republican candidates combined, as she waits to face off against the winner of a hotly contested Aug. 2 primary, reports filed with the state Friday show.

Oakland County businessman Kevin Rinke followed through on his pledge to use $10 million of his own money to pursue the Republican nomination for governor and easily has the most cash on hand in the race.

And Michigan's powerful DeVos family has followed through on its promise to rally the family's financial strength behind Norton Shores businesswoman and former conservative TV commentator Tudor Dixon. Dick and Betsy DeVos and eight other Michigan residents with the surname DeVos each gave Dixon the maximum campaign donation of $7,150, for a total of $71,500.

Dixon's fundraising totaling nearly $1.7 million is far behind what Rinke has raised and spent, but Dixon has also benefited — and is expected to continue to benefit — from third-party advertising paid for by groups that can accept much larger donations from wealthy donors such as the DeVos family.

But whoever wins the Republican primary faces a financial juggernaut in Whitmer, the Democratic governor who took office Jan. 1, 2019, and is seeking a second four-year term.

Whitmer — who has no primary opponent Aug. 2 — reported Friday that she has now raised nearly $29.3 million for her reelection bid, though that number includes about $3.75 million in contributions that were deemed to have exceeded donor limits and that Whitmer mostly sent to the Michigan Democratic Party. Whitmer has raised nearly double the $14.9 million raised by all five Republican candidates combined and has $14.7 million in the bank, the report shows.

Dixon reported raising close to $1.2 million since January and spending about $731,000, leaving her with about $538,000 in the bank. Dixon also reported about $65,000 in campaign debt, owed to various vendors.

Rinke reported spending close to $5.7 million since January and having about $4.2 million in cash, ready to spend.

Kalamazoo chiropractor Garrett Soldano raised just over $736,000 since January, bringing the total amount his campaign has raised to $2.1 million. He spent about $719,000 in the most recent reporting period, leaving him with about $332,000 in cash on hand, heading into the primary.

Soldano is the only candidate so far to apply for public funding through the Michigan Secretary of State, records show. His campaign was approved for close to $247,000 in public funding on July 15, a letter shows, but that amount has yet to show up in his campaign totals.

Soldano has also dipped into his own pocket, loaning his campaign $25,000.

Ottawa County real estate broker Ryan Kelley reported raising just over $208,000 since January, bringing his total fundraising to just under $307,000. Kelley spent nearly $203,000 in the most recent reporting period, leaving him with just under $38,000 in cash, heading into the primary.

Kelley received a significant boost in name recognition as a result of his June 9 arrest by the FBI on misdemeanor charges arising from his presence at the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

More: Court rejects lawsuit seeking to disqualify Ryan Kelley as a candidate for governor

More: GOP candidates for governor attack one another at Oakland University debate

The national exposure Kelley received, which included an appearance with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, appears to have given Kelley a bump in national fundraising.

Since January, Kelley has received 19 donations of $250 or more from outside Michigan, his campaign's report filed Thursday shows. All of those donations, which total about $17,340, were dated June 9 or later.

Contributing to his campaign were donors from Florida, Texas, California, Massachusetts, Missouri, Arizona, Illinois, New Hampshire, Hawaii, New York, Nevada, Alabama and Virginia. The biggest out-of-state check was for $7,150, records show.

Whitmer, who has a high national profile, has also raised significant funds from outside Michigan this cycle.

Ralph Rebandt, the retired pastor from Farmington Hills, reported raising close to $163,000 since January, bringing the total amount his campaign has raised to just over $396,000. Rebandt reported spending just over $164,000 in the current reporting period, leaving him with only about $5,500 in the bank.

Rebandt reported loaning his campaign more than $95,000. Much, but not all of that, is direct cash contributions. Rebandt's report says his campaign owes him just over $20,000 in mileage reimbursements, at a reimbursement rate of 55.5 cents for each mile he has driven for campaign purposes.

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who along with four other Republican candidates for governor was disqualified from the primary ballot over forged signatures, continues to run as a write-in candidate.

His Friday campaign finance report showed less than $400,000 spent since the end of May, when the Bureau of Elections released a report detailing the signature problem.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.  Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter. 

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GOP candidates spend heavily for chance to face Whitmer, reports show