Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has 28-1 cash edge over Tudor Dixon, reports show

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer crushes GOP challenger Tudor Dixon in fundraising
• Whitmer has hauled in $32 million for the election cycle — 16 times the amount Dixon has raised
• Whitmer has 28 times more money in the bank. The general election is Nov. 8

Oct. 6: Big money donors shunning Tudor Dixon, Michigan Republican ticket

LANSING — Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a massive fundraising edge over Republican challenger Tudor Dixon, raising $2.4 million during the post-primary period, campaign reports filed Thursday show.

That is roughly the amount Dixon’s campaign has raised for the entire election cycle. Dixon, a North Shore mother of four and former steel executive, took in just under $700,000 during the past month, records show.

As of Aug. 22, the governor’s campaign had $14 million in the bank. Dixon had just over $523,000.

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The disparity comes two months before the Nov. 8 general election, where two women candidates will face each other for governor for the first time in Michigan history. 

While both position themselves as working moms, they are of polar opposites on issues such as abortion, taxes and the coronavirus pandemic.

Dixon is anti-abortion and supports no exceptions for rape and incest, while Whitmer promised to “fight like hell” to preserve abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.

Dixon emerged from the August primary with low name recognition in polls, and some  strategists say she needs to raise more money to get her message out. Two super PACs — Michigan Families United and Save Michigan — have spent $2 million running ads supporting Dixon.

But for now, Dixon’s campaign fundraising is no match for Whitmer. 

With the $2.4 million raised in the latest period, Whitmer’s campaign has collected a total of almost $32 million for the election cycle, records show.

During the post-primary period, Whitmer raised more than $1.6 million in direct contributions from nearly 1,600 donors who each gave more than $200, a Bridge analysis of the campaign finance report shows. 

Union group SEIU Michigan State Council was Whitmer’s biggest donor during the one-month period, giving $51,500. Another union group, Iron Workers Local 25 PAC, gave $25,000.

The political arm of General Motors, the auto giant that announced a historic $7 billion investment in Michigan earlier this year, also contributed $10,000 to Whitmer.

Whitmer’s campaign spent $3.1 million during the same period, including more than $2 million reserving TV ad spots on streaming platforms like Hulu, YouTube and Peacock and local TV stations in cities such as Lansing, Traverse City, Roscommon and Southfield, among others. 

The campaign on Tuesday released a new TV ad titled “Future,” which is expected to air across the state. The ad touted her track record on education, including the administration’s record-level education budget without raising taxes and a state program established last year that offered tuition-free community college to students, drawing more than 170,000 applications.

Dixon’s campaign received $10,000 from the PAC of conservative consulting firm Capitol Affairs Inc. of Michigan, founded by former lobbyist Robert Kennedy, as well as  $17,850 from Rees-Jones Trevor, CEO of Texas-based oil company Oil and Gas LLC. That is more than the maximum $7,150 allowed under the state law. The campaign returned the extra amount, records show.

Dixon’s campaign spent almost $700,000 during the post-primary period, including almost $156,000 on TV ad placements.