• Press Release

Michigan Democrats Outraise Republicans as Abortion Access Hangs in the Balance

August 1, 2022

For Immediate Release
August 1, 2022

Michigan Democrats Outraise Republicans as Abortion Access Hangs in the Balance

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Michigan House and Senate Democratic caucuses outraised Republicans this past quarter. EMILYs List is committed to reelecting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and flipping the state legislative chambers in order to protect abortion access by blocking Republicans attempts to circumvent the governor’s veto power. EMILYs List President Laphonza Butler released the following statement:

“State officials and legislatures are the last line of defense when it comes to protecting our rights, and the fundraising totals for this quarter show that voters understand that our reproductive rights are on the line this November, and that Democrats are the ones who can protect them. We are encouraged to see the momentum to flip state legislatures and vote out anti-abortion candidates continue to grow.”

At the top of the ticket, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that she raised more than $9.5 million in the pre-primary fundraising period of 2022. Nearly 94% of donations were under $200, and 43,000 Michiganders contributed to the governor’s reelection campaign. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson outraised her Republican opponent by $1.4 million and Attorney General Dana Nessel outraised her Republican opponent by $2 million. 

Highlights from the Michigan state Senate 
The Senate Democratic Fund raised nearly $1.1 million during the April to July reporting period, outraising the Senate Republican campaign committee, which filed $720,000 raised during the same period. 

  • Democratic candidates’ donors range in the thousands, whereas their Republican counterparts raised from fewer than 500 donors. 
  • Of the top ten fundraisers in either party to date for candidate committees, seven are Democrats – including three EMILYs List-endorsed women: Sen. Mallory McMorrow, Rep. Padma Kuppa, and Sen. Rosemary Bayer. 
  • All targeted Senate candidates outraised their opponents, including:
    • Kristen McDonald Rivet outraised all four potential opponents competing in the Republican primary in her district this period.
    • Sen. Rosemary Bayer outraised both Republican primary candidates in her district more than six times over so far this cycle.
    • Rep. Padma Kuppa outraised her Republican opponent five to one so far this cycle.

Highlights from the Michigan state House of Representatives 
The House Democratic Fund raised $900,000 this quarter from over 900 individuals, outraising the House Republican Campaign Committee, who filed $797,000 in the same period from fewer than 20 individuals. 

  • Of the top five Democratic raisers cycle-to-date into candidate committees, four are EMILYs List endorsed candidates: Rep. Angela Witwer, Jennifer Conlin, Betsy Coffia, and Rep. Julie Brixie. 
  • Nearly all outraised their Republican opponents, including:
    • Betsy Coffia outraised her primary opponent more than three times over and her Republican opponent by over $35,000 cycle-to-date.
    • Jennifer Conlin outraised both Republicans more than three times over cycle-to-date.
    • Rep. Rachel Hood outraised her Republican opponent by more than $113,000 cycle-to-date.

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $700 million to elect Democratic pro-choice women candidates. With a grassroots community of over five million members, EMILY's List helps Democratic women win competitive campaigns – across the country and up and down the ballot – by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running nearly $50 million in independent expenditures in the last cycle alone, and turning out women voters and voters of color to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country's first woman as vice president, 159 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 16 governors, and more than 1,300 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. After the 2016 election, more than 60,000 women reached out to EMILY's List about running for office laying the groundwork for the next decade of candidates for local, state, and national offices. In our effort to elect more women in offices across the country, we have created our Run to Win program, expanded our training program, including a Training Center online, and trained thousands of women.