According to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Michigan Secretary of State, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has raised $1.8 million and spent $389,382 between Jan. 1, 2021, and Apr. 20, 2022. Nessel is currently ranked fourth in state-level donations in the 2022 election cycle.
Nessel is a member of the Democratic Party and assumed office in 2019. In Michigan, the attorney general is an elected position. The primary job of a state attorney general is to serve as chief legal adviser to the agencies and legislative organs that make up his or her state’s government, in addition to the citizens residing within the state. Nessel is running for re-election in 2022.
Nessel’s reported campaign finance activity, by quarter (2017-2021)
Contributions to Nessel
Of the $1.89 million already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 13.7 percent came from the top 10 donors.
Top Donors to Nessel (1/1/2021 – 4/20/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Donor Name | Donor Type |
| 1. | $71,500.00 | Daga PAC Federal | ENTITY |
| 2. | $35,000.00 | Michigan Education Association PAC | ENTITY |
| 3. | $29,000.00 | Inspire Michigan | ENTITY |
| 4. | $20,000.00 | American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees PEOPLE | ENTITY |
| 5. | $20,000.00 | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan PAC | ENTITY |
| 6. | $20,000.00 | Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters PAC | ENTITY |
| 7. | $15,000.00 | Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers State PAC | ENTITY |
| 8. | $15,000.00 | Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus | ENTITY |
| 9. | $14,300.00 | Wendy and Paul Greeney | INDIVIDUAL |
| 10. | $12,500.00 | Miller Canfield PAC | ENTITY |
Expenditures by Nessel
Nessel reported $389,382 in expenditures, with 90.3 percent going to the 10 payees topping this list. “Payees” are entities or individuals listed as the recipients of campaign expenditures, and may include vendors, campaign accounts, and transfers.
Top Expenditures by Nessel (1/1/2021 – 4/20/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Payee Name | Payee Type |
| 1. | $70,500.00 | A2 Political Consulting | ENTITY |
| 2. | $60,000.00 | Skdknickerbocker LLC | ENTITY |
| 3. | $51,426.15 | Dykema Gossett PLLC | ENTITY |
| 4. | $49,747.96 | Kimberly Bush Koleszar | INDIVIDUAL |
| 5. | $30,000.00 | Left Rising LLC | ENTITY |
| 6. | $30,000.00 | Two Rivers Public Affairs | ENTITY |
| 7. | $23,867.53 | Vantiv LLC | ENTITY |
| 8. | $22,715.76 | Act Blue | ENTITY |
| 9. | $7,500.00 | Strother Nuckels Strategies | ENTITY |
| 10. | $6,000.00 | Democratic State Central Committee | ENTITY |
How donations to Nessel compare to the same office in other states
Contributions vary widely among officeholders in the same role. A number of factors, including whether the position is appointed or elected, can influence donor activity. Here is how Nessel’s donations compare to the 10 other attorney generals with campaign finance data available from Transparency USA in 2022:
Across the U.S., 27 attorney generals are members of the Republican Party and 23 are members of the Democratic Party. Voters elect the attorney general in 43 states, while they are chosen by a state government organ in the other seven. In 2022, 30 states are holding elections for the position.
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Michigan PACs submitted to the Michigan Secretary of State. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2022 Annual/January | 1/31/2022 |
| 2022 April (PACs) | 4/25/2022 |
| 2022 July (PACs) | 7/25/2022 |
| 2022 Post-Primary | 9/1/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-General | 10/28/2023 |
This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.