By Ben Solis
Gongwer News Service
Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and fellow Democratic Party nominee for the Supreme Court Kimberly Thomas are trouncing their Republican Party rivals in terms of cash on hand heading into October.
The race for an open seat and one to fill a partial is being closely watched, with Bolden seeking to retain her seat and serve a partial term, while Thomas seeks to replace retiring Justice David Viviano.
On the Republican side, Rep. Andrew Fink (R-Hillsdale) is also seeking to replace Viviano and serve an eight-year term, while Judge Patrick O’Grady seeks to unseat Bolden and serve out the remainder of the term.
The state parties nominated their respective candidates for Supreme Court at separate conventions held in August.
Post-convention campaign finance reports were due at 5 p.m. Monday.
The reports show the Democratic-nominated candidates are far ahead in terms of cash on hand a little more than a month from the November general election.
Thomas has $168,883 cash on hand and Bolden has $261,903 cash on hand, giving the liberal candidates a combined $430,768.
Fink and O’Grady were further behind. The incumbent representative had $25,928 cash on hand and O’Grady had $56,051, bringing the GOP candidates to a combined $81,979 cash on hand.
Bolden raised $171,740 during the reporting period and has raised $1.31 million for the cycle thus far. The incumbent justice spent $830,487 of that money this period and spent $1.05 million over the course of the race.
The Michigan Association for Justice PAC was Bolden’s largest in-kind donor through the post-convention period and throughout the cycle, with $21,814 contributed to her campaign during the period for signs and $7,500 this period for digital and paid ads. The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights was Bolden’s largest direct donor, which contributed $20,000 during the period and $40,000 overall.
Bolden’s largest expense during the post-convention period was on media advertising to the tune of $750,000.
Thomas raised $180,103 in campaign contributions during the reporting period and raised a little more than $1 million over the course of the election cycle. She spent $775,565 this period and $835,693 over the election cycle.
Michigan Laborer’s Political League was Thomas’s largest donor, with $41,625 contributed during the post-convention period. The MRCC also gave $20,000 to Thomas this period and $40,000 overall.
Like Bolden, Thomas’s biggest expenditure this period was $750,000 for media buys paid to the same vendor.
Fink, on the other hand, raised $60,390 during the post-convention period and $160,647 overall through the cycle. He spent $52,302 this period and $134,718 throughout the cycle overall. That leaves the representative with $25,928 cash on hand going into October.
Fink’s largest donors were members of the DeVos family, with Dick DeVos, Doug DeVos and Betsy DeVos giving Fink $8,325 apiece. Donors Richard and Ethelyn Haworth gave the same amount to Fink multiple times this period. Fink also has support from leadership PACs belonging to Rep. Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville) and Rep. Brian BeGole (R-Perry), as well as a $500 donation from U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Tipton).
His largest expense thus far was $21,706 on consulting from Bright Spark Strategies, which appears several times on his expenditure report along with multiple payments to Hudson Strategies Group – both Lansing-based firms.
O’Grady raised $82,049 during the reporting period and $103,839 over the election cycle. He spent $31,146 during the post-convention period and $47,787 overall. That leaves O’Grady with $56,051 cash on hand.
His largest donor during the reporting cycle, aside from $25,000 he loaned to his campaign, were Richard and Ethelyn Haworth, who both gave O’Grady $8,325, as well as Dick DeVos, Doug DeVos and Betsy DeVos, giving O’Grady another $8,325 apiece.
O’Grady’s largest expenditure during the reporting cycle was $29,443 to Greenlee Consulting.
—————
DePerno has poor showing in campaign cash post-defeat
Attorney Matthew DePerno was also seeking the Republican nomination for the partial term but dropped from the race on the day of the August MIGOP convention. He quickly issued his support for O’Grady.
DePerno’s pre-convention campaign finance report showed he raised just $136 throughout the election cycle and spent $88. A late campaign finance report filed by DePerno after the August deadline shows that a single donor, Demitri Dernis of Illinois, gave this campaign $1,041 in one itemized contribution.
In his post-convention filing, DePerno reported receiving $1,233 in total contributions for the period and $1,370 for the election cycle until he dropped out on August 24. He spent $48 during the post-convention reporting period and $137 throughout the cycle.
He ended his campaign with a balance of $1,232.
A report for Alexandria Taylor, who was also seeking the Republican nomination to the high court, but was not nominated, was not available at publishing.
Gongwer News Service
Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and fellow Democratic Party nominee for the Supreme Court Kimberly Thomas are trouncing their Republican Party rivals in terms of cash on hand heading into October.
The race for an open seat and one to fill a partial is being closely watched, with Bolden seeking to retain her seat and serve a partial term, while Thomas seeks to replace retiring Justice David Viviano.
On the Republican side, Rep. Andrew Fink (R-Hillsdale) is also seeking to replace Viviano and serve an eight-year term, while Judge Patrick O’Grady seeks to unseat Bolden and serve out the remainder of the term.
The state parties nominated their respective candidates for Supreme Court at separate conventions held in August.
Post-convention campaign finance reports were due at 5 p.m. Monday.
The reports show the Democratic-nominated candidates are far ahead in terms of cash on hand a little more than a month from the November general election.
Thomas has $168,883 cash on hand and Bolden has $261,903 cash on hand, giving the liberal candidates a combined $430,768.
Fink and O’Grady were further behind. The incumbent representative had $25,928 cash on hand and O’Grady had $56,051, bringing the GOP candidates to a combined $81,979 cash on hand.
Bolden raised $171,740 during the reporting period and has raised $1.31 million for the cycle thus far. The incumbent justice spent $830,487 of that money this period and spent $1.05 million over the course of the race.
The Michigan Association for Justice PAC was Bolden’s largest in-kind donor through the post-convention period and throughout the cycle, with $21,814 contributed to her campaign during the period for signs and $7,500 this period for digital and paid ads. The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights was Bolden’s largest direct donor, which contributed $20,000 during the period and $40,000 overall.
Bolden’s largest expense during the post-convention period was on media advertising to the tune of $750,000.
Thomas raised $180,103 in campaign contributions during the reporting period and raised a little more than $1 million over the course of the election cycle. She spent $775,565 this period and $835,693 over the election cycle.
Michigan Laborer’s Political League was Thomas’s largest donor, with $41,625 contributed during the post-convention period. The MRCC also gave $20,000 to Thomas this period and $40,000 overall.
Like Bolden, Thomas’s biggest expenditure this period was $750,000 for media buys paid to the same vendor.
Fink, on the other hand, raised $60,390 during the post-convention period and $160,647 overall through the cycle. He spent $52,302 this period and $134,718 throughout the cycle overall. That leaves the representative with $25,928 cash on hand going into October.
Fink’s largest donors were members of the DeVos family, with Dick DeVos, Doug DeVos and Betsy DeVos giving Fink $8,325 apiece. Donors Richard and Ethelyn Haworth gave the same amount to Fink multiple times this period. Fink also has support from leadership PACs belonging to Rep. Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville) and Rep. Brian BeGole (R-Perry), as well as a $500 donation from U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Tipton).
His largest expense thus far was $21,706 on consulting from Bright Spark Strategies, which appears several times on his expenditure report along with multiple payments to Hudson Strategies Group – both Lansing-based firms.
O’Grady raised $82,049 during the reporting period and $103,839 over the election cycle. He spent $31,146 during the post-convention period and $47,787 overall. That leaves O’Grady with $56,051 cash on hand.
His largest donor during the reporting cycle, aside from $25,000 he loaned to his campaign, were Richard and Ethelyn Haworth, who both gave O’Grady $8,325, as well as Dick DeVos, Doug DeVos and Betsy DeVos, giving O’Grady another $8,325 apiece.
O’Grady’s largest expenditure during the reporting cycle was $29,443 to Greenlee Consulting.
—————
DePerno has poor showing in campaign cash post-defeat
Attorney Matthew DePerno was also seeking the Republican nomination for the partial term but dropped from the race on the day of the August MIGOP convention. He quickly issued his support for O’Grady.
DePerno’s pre-convention campaign finance report showed he raised just $136 throughout the election cycle and spent $88. A late campaign finance report filed by DePerno after the August deadline shows that a single donor, Demitri Dernis of Illinois, gave this campaign $1,041 in one itemized contribution.
In his post-convention filing, DePerno reported receiving $1,233 in total contributions for the period and $1,370 for the election cycle until he dropped out on August 24. He spent $48 during the post-convention reporting period and $137 throughout the cycle.
He ended his campaign with a balance of $1,232.
A report for Alexandria Taylor, who was also seeking the Republican nomination to the high court, but was not nominated, was not available at publishing.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
