2022 LIFEBLOOD
Let’s talk campaign money, and lot’s of it, starting with Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Rochester, Rochester Hills, northern Oakland, parts of Livingston and Ingham counties) who, in the recent campaign donation reporting period, which ended June 30, hauled in $1,048,232. This is not out of the ordinary for the prolific fundraiser, who consistently vows not to take corporate PAC dollars. Slotkin reported she has raised $2 million this election cycle, and currently has $3.1


IT’S A RICH (WO)MAN’S WORLD
Raising money for the next campaign is all part of the election game – and it appears Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) is the consummate player. For the last filing period, January 1-July 20, the campaign to re-elect Whitmer reported it had raised a whopping $8.5 million, and that it has over $10 million cash-on-hand. Mark Fisk, spokesperson for her campaign, noted it was the most raised by any Michigan candidate in an off-year ever, with donations coming from over 25,000 contri


IN THIS CORNER
State Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, eastern half of West Bloomfield) has a newly-announced Republican opponent, Anthony Paesano, an Oakland County attorney who is already working with a noted heavyweight campaign advisor. In an ironic twist, Paesano happens to be partners with Manoogian’s cousin, Richard Apkarian. They may not have the same political leanings though – and, after all, blood is thicker than water, as they say. The day


DOUBLE PLAY
Just as Noah Arbit, director of communications for the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, was preparing to announce his candidacy to run for the Democrat nomination for the 39th state House District, which currently covers Commerce Township and the western half of West Bloomfield to take on Republican incumbent Ryan Berman for what would have been his third and final term, when Berman did a switcheroo, announcing he is running for state attorney general in 2022, hoping to ta


TIME TO MOVE ON
Mama always said be careful who you tell a lie to because you have to keep following its tale to the end of its tail. Some members of the Republican Party are discovering that with the blowback from the fire that is the ‘Big Lie’ – the assertion by some, still, nearly 10 months later, that the November 2020 election was stolen – but only at the presidential level. That has led to the GOP purging itself of some of those who have not kept up with the falsehood. Included are som
SECOND COMING? MAYBE NOT
Eight candidates have now filed campaign committees with the state in the Republican race to be party standard bearer against Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2022. But 16 months ahead of the November general election, we are not seeing anyone with the combination of both star power and fundraising ability to really stand out from the pack. There’s ex-Detroit top cop James Craig who has yet to formally announce but has been busy assembling a campaign organization and is expected
GLOW IS FADING
Two names of Republicans keep surfacing in the rumor mill, persons financially capable of self-funding a run for governor – millionaires Perry Johnson of Troy and Bloomfield Township’s Kevin Rinke from the Rinke auto dealer family. The latter has some baggage that has been surfacing in recent weeks that could prove problematic, despite his willingness to put $10 million of his own money in the race. Bill Ballenger, former state lawmaker, prognosticator and dean of political n


SHORT TAKES
Former U.S. head of education and generous underwriter of conservative causes Betsy DeVos has made it official, she is not running for governor. Republican state party co-chair and Milford resident Meshawn Maddock posted about the Pillow Guy’s bust of an event to show “proof” of the Big Steal: “Watching my friend Mike Lindell on FrankSpeech.com right now! Shouldn’t we all want to learn everything we can about election integrity? I say YES.” A new dark money group led by some