Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political entities may contribute to campaigns.
While campaign finance is not the only factor in electoral outcomes, successful fundraising can provide a candidate with advantages during a campaign. Fundraising can also indicate party momentum.
This article lists top fundraisers in the Michigan State Senate, overall and by party. It is based on campaign finance reports that officeholders in and candidates for the State Senate submitted to the Michigan Secretary of State. It includes activity between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022.
Top fundraisers in the Michigan State Senate by party
The top fundraisers in Michigan State Senate elections are shown below. Individuals are presented with the office that they are on the ballot for in 2022, if applicable.
In the Democratic Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:
- Mallory McMorrow (District 8) – $457,876
- Darrin Camilleri (District 4) – $355,613
- Padma Kuppa (District 9) – $332,829
- Terry Sabo (District 32) – $245,311
- David LaGrand (District 30) – $165,879
In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:
- Aric Nesbitt (District 20) – $246,758
- Thomas Albert (District 18) – $245,049
- John Damoose (District 37) – $143,416
- Kim LaSata (District 17) – $143,298
- Tommy Brann (District 29) – $134,284
Fundraising totals
Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $3.1 million in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $2.9 million. Combined, all State Senate fundraisers in the Jan. 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022, filing period raised $6.0 million.
The five largest Democratic fundraisers were responsible for 50 percent of all Democratic State Senate fundraising. The five largest Republican fundraisers were responsible for 32 percent of all Republican State Senate fundraising.
The table below provides additional data from the campaign finance reports from the top 10 fundraisers during this period.
| TOP 10 FUNDRAISERS – MICHIGAN STATE SENATE (Jan. 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Party Affiliation | Raised | Spent |
| Mallory McMorrow | Democratic Party | $457,876 | $182,312 |
| Darrin Camilleri | Democratic Party | $355,613 | $156,053 |
| Padma Kuppa | Democratic Party | $332,829 | $136,496 |
| Aric Nesbitt | Republican Party | $246,758 | $342,337 |
| Terry Sabo | Democratic Party | $245,311 | $127,762 |
| Thomas Albert | Republican Party | $245,049 | $213,378 |
| David LaGrand | Democratic Party | $165,879 | $79,966 |
| John Cherry | Democratic Party | $145,488 | $100,457 |
| John Damoose | Republican Party | $143,416 | $145,885 |
| Kim LaSata | Republican Party | $143,298 | $78,832 |
Campaign finance reporting periods
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that candidate PACs submitted to the Michigan Secretary of State. Candidate PACs represent individuals who have run for state or local office at any point, including past and present officeholders. This article does not include non-candidate PACs. 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 |
| 2022 Post-General | 12/8/2022 |
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.