February 08 2010 at 12:30 PM

Campaign spending for open Michigan open seats on a blistering pace

Filed in: Campaign Finance Reform | Reports | Michigan
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Candidates for governor, attorney general and secretary of state in Michigan have more than doubled their campaign spending since 2002.

According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, this year’s field of gubernatorial candidates has raised 42 percent more than their counterparts in 2002: $8,302,048 to $5,862,205. But spending by gubernatorial candidates is up by 162 percent compared to 2002:  $4,261,109 to $1,623,542.

Candidate-focused television issue advertisements have been a major feature in each of the last two gubernatorial campaigns, amounting to some $12 million in 2002, and more than $18 million in 2006. That spending is entirely outside the campaign finance reporting system.

This year’s secretary of state candidates have taken in more than four times as much as the field in 2002: $599,067 to $117,145. At this point in 2002, neither eventual Democratic contender for the office even had an active campaign committee.

This year’s field of attorney general candidates has raised $779,287 and spent $280,000. In 2002, Mike Cox had the only active AG committee at this point in the campaign and he had raised $29,825 and spent $904. His Democratic opponent in the 2002 general election, Gary Peters, didn’t file his statement of organization until March 4, 2002.

In comparison to the two cycles with open seats,  the two person gubernatorial field in 2006 had raised $9,944,902 at this point in the cycle and spent $4,447,598. Governor Granholm alone had raised 97 percent of the total of this year’s entire field. Incumbent Terri Lynn Land had raised more money, $627,576, than this year’s entire field of SoS candidates. Incumbent AG Cox had raised $1,029,313 by this point in the 2006 cycle, also more than the entire field in 2010.

“These data show two things quite clearly,” said Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. “First, incumbency is a tremendous fundraising advantage and no one has it this year. And secondly, it’s much too early to tell whether or not the campaign sector is in recession. Compared to 2002, things look quite robust.”

The MCFN released a report detailing statewide candidate campaign finances 10 months before the 2002, 2006 and 2010 election cycles.