• More than $65 million has been spent in the governor’s race amid a late fundraising surge ahead of Nov. 3 election
  • Close to half of spending in support of John James is attributable to donations from the billionaire DeVos family
  • A 527 group supporting Benson has spent nearly $18.3 million after raising money from big-name donors like Michael Bloomberg 

Last-minute donations are flowing in the Michigan governor’s race, as a multimillion-dollar Republican surge in the final days of the campaign threatens to upend Democrats’ financial edge at the top of the ticket. 

This month alone, an outside group affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association has raised and spent more than $18 million to support Jocelyn Benson, fueled in part by megadonors and state-based special interests.

But on the Republican side, a newly formed political action committee is testing the limits of state campaign finance law by funneling millions into the state party to directly support Republican John James.

Michigan Victory 2026, which formed two weeks ago, had disclosed raising $11 million as of Saturday.

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All told, more than $65 million in spending has been disclosed in Michigan’s gubernatorial race, a figure that does not include unreported “dark money” spending, which likely would add millions of dollars to the total.

That’s a decline from fundraising in the 2022 gubernatorial election, a dip at least partially attributable to donor interest and heavy spending in the state’s heavily contested US Senate race. 

Overall, there has been about $38.8 million in disclosed spending in Benson’s favor, either by her campaign or outside groups supporting her, while there has been about $26.7 million in reported spending for James.

DeVoses dominate James fundraising

Close to half of the disclosed funding to benefit James has been underwritten by the billionaire DeVos family of West Michigan. 

Five members of the family have contributed more than $12 million to three different political action committees supporting James, including $2 million to the new Michigan Victory 2026 committee that is funding James ads through the state Republican Party. 

The third-largest disclosed outside spender helping James has been the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. His America PAC has reported spending more than $1.2 million supporting James since September and is funded exclusively by Musk. 

Other donors to outside groups supporting James include:

  • Michigan First, Inc., a dark money nonprofit, has given $1 million in total. The group’s board includes Noah Sadlier, a former congressional staffer for James
  • Roger Penske and Penske Corp. gave a combined $500,000. 
  • Harlan Crow, a Republican megadonor, gave $20,000
  • Walmart, Inc. gave $335,000
  • Car dealership magnate David Fischer gave $450,000
  • Snapchat, Inc. gave $50,000
  • Intersect CEO Sheldon Kimber, who is involved in data centers, gave $50,000
  • DTE Energy’s PAC also gave $5,000 to a PAC affiliated with James called Mission First People Always earlier this year.

Some of that funding has flowed through Michigan Victory 2026 to the state GOP, which has spent it on ads for James — an arrangement the Michigan Democratic Party says violates donor limits written into state law.  

James has argued the spending is allowed because of a US Supreme Court ruling on federal campaign laws. 

“We’re gonna push for as many resources as we can using Supreme Court rulings and also the precedent and examples set by other states,” James said.  

Benson’s big 527

Making Michigans Future, a tax-exempt political organization organized under Section 527 of IRS code, has reported more than $18.3 million in ad spending to support Benson ahead of the election, most within the past four weeks.

The majority of the funding, nearly $7.8 million, came from the Democratic Governors Association, but some major Michigan donors also waded in. Donors to the group have included:

  • Labor unions including AFSCME, UAW, SEIU, UFCWA, Laborers and Pipe Trades have spent at least $2.8 million
  • Billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $1 million
  • Central Transport, the company of Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun, gave $100,000
  • Tech sector billionaire Chris Larsen gave $500,000
  • Roadbuilders and companies in the industry gave at least $685,000
  • Detroit Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem gave $25,000
  • Data center operator Switch, Ltd gave $5,000
  • President Donald Trump’s niece Mary Trump gave $15,000
  • Disposable vaporizer maker Breeze Smoke gave $225,000

Groups like Making Michigans Future can’t directly advocate for a candidate’s election, but they can compliment a candidate or criticize their opponents through an approach known as issue advertising. 

The group has spent about $2.2 million on ads running on Google-owned platforms, nearly all of which are video ads aired on YouTube. One spot, called “The butcher” attacks James for his congressional voting record on healthcare and Social Security.

Other ads boosting Benson use footage of the candidate speaking directly to the camera.

The largest outside group supporting Benson is the newly formed CFFE PAC — an acronym for the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy — which has spent more than $1.3 million to support Benson through canvassing. 

The group received funding from the AFL-CIO, but primarily from three organizations that don’t disclose their donors: America Votes, Civic Bridge Action and Opportunity Action Fund.

Benson previously told Bridge Michigan she would denounce funding to support her campaign if it came from undisclosed sources. 

“I think every dollar that goes and is spent to influence voters and political campaigns needs to be disclosed — period,” she said in May. 

Her campaign stood by those statements Tuesday, but didn’t directly denounce the recent dark money spending on her behalf.

“Jocelyn has been clear: dark money doesn’t belong in political campaigns,” said Benson campaign spokesperson Alyssa Bradley. “That’s why she’s the only candidate in this race to refuse corporate PAC money and go above and beyond financial disclosure requirements.”

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