Slotkin raised nearly $3M for Senate bid in second quarter

Michigan Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin raised $2.8 million for her U.S. Senate bid during the second fundraising quarter, her campaign said Monday.

That brings her total raised to $5.8 million in the four months since the Lansing Democrat launched her campaign in late February, which her campaign said is a record, exceeding what other Senate candidates in Michigan raised in their first two quarters.

About 89% of all donations have been $100 or less, spokesman Austin Cook said. The campaign will report $3.6 million in the bank as of June 30, Cook said.

"Grassroots support has powered this campaign from Day 1, and that enthusiasm is what helped Elissa break the record for the most raised in any U.S. Senate campaign’s first two quarters in Michigan history,” Cook said in a statement.

“Elissa has never taken a dime of corporate PAC money, and she certainly isn’t starting now. Holding this Senate seat will be critical for Democrats to keep the majority, and we’re building a campaign to do just that.”

Slotkin's significant cash haul comes as the Democratic field is expected to soon expand with the actor Hill Harper joining the race as early as Tuesday, who would be her highest-profile challenger yet.

Other major Democratic primary contenders passed on the race for the open seat to be vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Lansing in 2024, including Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.

Other declared candidates include former state Rep. Leslie Love of Detroit, Michigan State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh of Saginaw, Dearborn businessman Nasser Beydoun and Ann Arbor attorney Zack Burns. Fundraising reports for the second quarter are due to the Federal Election Commission on July 15.

The Republican field is still taking shape, with potential candidates including former Detroit police chief James Craig, former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer and New York Stock Exchange executive John Tuttle considering bids. Declared candidates include include State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder of Dexter, Romulus attorney Alexandria Taylor and first-time candidate Michael Hoover of Laingsburg, formerly of Dow Chemical Co.

Slotkin, 46, in late February became the first Democratic contender to publicly launch a bid for Stabenow's seat. She has won three competitive U.S. House contests and regularly led the Michigan House delegation in fundraising hauls.

A former top Pentagon official, Slotkin built a national fundraising network during her three congressional runs and raised $10 million for her last race for Congress in which she defeated Republican former state Sen. Tom Barrett of Charlotte by 5 percentage points ― a contest that ranked among the most expensive in the country when outside spending was included.

The contest for Stabenow's seat could be key in deciding which party controls the chamber in 2025. Democrats hold a 51-49 edge now.

mburke@detroitnews.com