Always Follow the Money: Campaign Finances for State Representatives and State Senators from West Michigan in 2023
This will be my last post dealing with campaign finances for this quarter. I want to focus on campaign finances for area State representative and State Senators, including the total they have raised so far and some of their top campaign contributors. These numbers will only increase over the next 12 months as candidates will be gearing up for the 2024 elections.
There are 15 people listed below, five being State Senators and the other ten being State Representatives. So far, they collectively have raised $875,000, with a great deal of that money coming from corporate PACs. With one more year of fundraising, it will like put the total for the candidates who are running for re-election between $2 – 3 million, which doesn’t even include how much money their opponents will raise. The campaigns that will challenge these incumbents could reasonable raise between another $2 – 3 million, which would put the total at somewhere between $4 and 6 million.
What if these candidates keep very little of this money for campaign purposes, since so much can be done on social media these days. Instead, what if they all gave the majority, let’s say 75% of what they raised during the campaign to people who really need it – those struggling to afford rent, health care costs, transportation, food and education. Seventy-five percent of the money raised by just the 15 incumbents and their challengers, could be $3 – $4 million. Imagine how much good, and how much press these candidates would receive, by actually providing some relief to thousands of families in West Michigan and making an immediate difference, as opposed to maybe impacting policy, that more often than not is reformist at best.
What we do know for sure is that the companies and the other entities that are contributing significant sums of money to these incumbents know is that they will be buying access and influence with future legislative and policy decisions in Michigan.
State Representatives
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $25,160.00
Top contributors
- Grand Rapids Firefighters Union PAC – $2,500
- McCalvey Merchant PAC – $2,000
- Priority Health PAC – $1,500
- Michigan Laborer Political League – $1,000
- American Federation of State County – $1,000
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $172,352.00
Top contributors
- Jeff Sakwa, Realtor – $1,225
- Michael Callton, Consultant – $1,225
- Amy Herbrucks, Herbrucks Poultry – $1,000
- William Wortz, Public Affairs – $750
- MI Association of Health Plans PAC – $500
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $92,981.83
Top contributors
- Scott Tubergen, Tubergen Construction – $1,075
- Judy Tubergen, Tubergen Construction – $1,075
- ABC PAC, Associated Builders and Contractors – $250
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $30,743.29
Top contributors
- Joshua Griffin, Public Affairs Firm – $1,000
- Ledger8760 Inc, Carbon management – $1,000
- Michigan Manufacturers Association – $500
- Cindy Kreig, not employed – $500
- Michigan Optometric Association – $500
82nd District – Kristian Grant
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $18,410.00
Top contributors
- Joe Jones, Hekima Group LLC – $1,225
- Marlin Feyen – $1,000
- Michigan League of Conservation Vote – $1,000
- Michigan Home Health Association PAC – $1,000
- Shoran Williams, Lawyer – $1,000
- Meijer PAC – $500
83rd District – John Fitzgerald
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $89,100.23
Top contributors
- Michigan Laborers Political League – $5,000
- Joe Tate Leadership PAC – $4,725
- AFSCME Non-Federal PAC – $2,500
- Michigan LCV PAC – $2,000
- Ruth Fitzgerald, Clergy – $1,225
- Meijer PAC – $1,000
- United Health Group Incorporated PAC – $1,000
- COMCAST Corp and NBC Universal PAC – $1,000
- DOW Inc PAC – $1,000
- DTE Energy PAC – $1,000
84th District – Carol Glanville
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $98,982.04
Top contributors
- Joe Tate Leadership PAC – $9,725
- Michigan Laborers Political League – $2,500
- AFSCME People PAC – $1,000
- Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters – $1,000
- Michigan Health & Hospital Association – $1,000
- Michigan Association of Health Plans – $1,000
- Michigan League of Conservation Vote – $1,000
- Michigan Education Partners – $1,000
- Realtors PAC of Michigan – $550
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $33,835.00
Top contributors
- Jordan Dendulk, Dendulk Dairy Farm – $1,225
- Gina DeJong – $1,225
- Marieta Dendulk, Dendulk Dairy Farm – $1,025
- Daniel Barcheski, Grand Ventures – $1,000
- Realtors PAC of Michigan – $1,000
90th District – Bryan Posthumus
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $114,801.00
Top contributors
- CMS Energy PAC – $1,200
- UPS PAC – $1,000
- Molina Health Care PAC – $1,000
- United HealthGroup PAC – $1,000
- Auto Dealers of Michigan – $500
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $14,725.00
Top contributors
- Michigan Action Committee for Rural Electric – $2,000
- Auto Dealers of MI PAC – $500
- ACEC Michigan PAC – $500
State Senators
18th District – Thomas A. Albert
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $17,000.00
Top Contributors
Albert has no contributors for the most recent campaign finance period.
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $20,749.10
Top Contributors
- ACEC Michigan PAC – $1,000
- UPS PAC – $1,000
- Jeff Kirkpatrick, Universal Fire & Casualty Insurance – $1,000
- NFIB MI PAC – $500
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $76,525.01
Top Contributors
- Mcalvey Merchant PAC – $5,000
- United Health Group PAC – $4,000
- UPS PAC – $3,500
- Dykema Gossett State PAC – $2,500
- Consulting Engineers Council – $2,500
- Ford Motor Company Civic Action Fund – $2,000
- Altria Group Inc PAC – $2,000
- NRG Energy Inc PAC – $2,000
- Constellation Energy Corporation – $1,000
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $42,211.21
Top Contributors
- Gerald Abraham – $2,186.13
- Julie Ann Abraham – $1,561.52
- Jim Williams, Williams Distributing – $1,450
- Amanda Williams, Williams Distributing – $1,000
- Comcast and NBC Universal PAC – $1,000
- CMS Energy Employees PAC – $1,000
- Molina Health Care PAC – $1,000
- Associated Builders and Contractors – $1,000
- MI Beer and Wine Wholesalers PAC – $1,000
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $31,753.81
Top Contributors
- Blue Cross Blue Shield – $1,000
- DTE Energy PAC – $1,000
- Comcast Corporation/NBC Universal PAC – $1,000
- Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association PAC – $750
- Delta PAC – $750
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 
Comments are closed.