Washington ― Time is running out for Democratic U.S. House hopefuls in several Michigan districts to pull together the resources needed to win fights over which wing of their party should earn the chance to take on Republicans in November.
From mid-Michigan to Metro Detroit, the Aug. 4 primary election pits more progressive candidates fed up with the status quo against incumbents or other candidates viewed as part of the establishment or centrist wing of the party.
We rounded up the most interesting developments gleaned from the campaign finance reports filed Wednesday covering fundraising and spending from April 1 through June 30.
Massadam, Brink burning through cash
In what is perhaps Michigan’s most competitive district, Democrat and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam trailed his two primary rivals, Bridget Brink and Will Lawrence, in receipts and cash on hand, reporting about $353,800 for last quarter and $548,000 in the bank.
The trio is vying for the Democratic nod in the Aug. 4 primary election that determines who will face first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett of Charlotte in November. Barrett raised about $1.1 million for the three-month period and is sitting on nearly $3 million in cash reserves.
Maasdam’s last-place finish for the quarter came on the heels of his major endorsement Wednesday from Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, who previously held the 7th District seat before her election to the Senate in 2024. The district covers the greater Lansing area.
Brink of Lansing, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, brought in $642,600 for the quarter and closed out with the most cash on hand behind Barrett, about $1.1 million. Lawrence, who co-founded the climate-focused Sunrise Movement and is endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, raised $418,000 and ended the quarter with about $570,500 in the bank as of June 30.
Brink spent more than she brought in, and Maasdam spent more than twice of what he raised.
Barrett also spent at a strong clip, spending nearly 87% of what he received in donations.
“Now’s the time to spend it,” Barrett adviser Jason Cabel Roe said on social media. “Can’t take it with you as they say.”
McCann nearly catches Huizenga again
In a competitive west Michigan contest, long-time Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga of Holland topped his would-be Democratic challenger, state Sen. Sean McCann of Kalamazoo, in fundraising for the quarter, but McCann posted another mega haul.
Huizenga brought in just over $1 million for his best quarter ever. McCann came in about $87,000 behind at $919,500, according to campaign finance records. McCann had outraised Huizenga in the first quarter of 2026 by about $400,000.
Where Huizenga holds an edge is cash reserves, with $2.6 million in the bank to McCann’s $1.66 million.
“This momentum gives us a great foundation as we head into the fall and shows voters are rejecting Tax Man Sean McCann because they know the only thing he’s done for West Michigan is help radical Democrats raise their taxes, gas prices, and cost of living,” Huizenga said in a statement.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently shifted its rating for Michigan’s 4th District along the lakeshore from “likely” to “lean” Republican in a nod to the poor environment that Republicans are facing in the fall midterm elections.
Huizenga recently went on the air with a TV ad making fun of his Dutch, penny-pinching frugality.
“Washington ought to spend money like Michiganders do: Carefully,” he says in the ad. “Yeah, I’m a little thrifty. But when it comes to your money, I think that’s a good thing.”
Chung raising more, spending less in 10th District
Former Commerce Department attorney Eric Chung continues to dominate the fundraising battle in the three-person Democratic primary for a swing seat currently held by GOP U.S. Rep. John James, who is running for governor instead of seeking reelection to Congress.
But even with a sizable money advantage, the first-time candidate has been outspent lately by opponents in Michigan’s 10th District, which covers southern Macomb County, and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County.
Chung of Sterling Heights brought in more than $400,000 from April through June and has raised a total of $1.9 million since launching his campaign. Both figures are significantly higher than those of his foes, former prosecutor Christina Hines of Warren and former Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel.
Hines raised $277,000 last quarter and about $1.1 million since entering the race.
Greimel hauled in $176,500 over the three-month period and $1.2 million since his launch. Despite those lower totals, they have shown a willingness to burn through money to advance to the general election.
Hines spent about $400,000 in the second quarter, and Greimel spent $266,000 — both about $100,000 more than they raised. By contrast, Chung spent $264,000 and was sitting on roughly $1 million in cash on hand to start July.
That could position him better financially for a general election fight against Army veteran and likely Republican nominee Michael Bouchard of Rochester Hills. But Chung has to make it there first.
“I’m shocked that, for a person with such a large money advantage, he has mailed slowly. His advertising campaign has been slow,” said Michael Radtke, a Democratic political consultant and Sterling Heights City Council member. He also emphasized that most of Chung’s support has come from outside Michigan.
“Having made the most money, I think he has the least support,” Radtke added. About 93% of itemized individual donors have come from out of state, according to a Detroit News analysis of campaign finance records.
Bouchard raised more than $400,000 and ended the period with cash reserves over $1 million. He won the endorsement of President Donald Trump last month, effectively ending the bid of competitor Robert Lulgjuraj – who rivaled Bouchard’s fundraising prowess with $1.3 million in total donations but suspended his campaign July 14.
Thanedar swamps McKinney in Wayne County
Two-term Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, finished ahead of his primary challenger, state Rep. Donavan McKinney for the last quarter, $515,400 to $257,000. Thanedar reported $4.7 million in cash on hand headed into the last couple weeks before the Aug. 4 primary to McKinney’s $264,000.
Thanedar, who has long self-funded his campaigns, loaned himself another $800,000 for his reelection in June and reported more investment losses from a mutual fund, about $634,000, his report shows.
Thanedar received more individual contributions than he typically does, in part because of at least $232,000 donations bundled by the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee for his reelection bid. He also picked up donations from the American Chemistry Council PAC, the General Motors Co. PAC, the National Association of Relators PAC and Impeachment PAC.
McKinney, who has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders and the Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America, has criticized Thanedar for his support of U.S. military aid for Israel and for taking corporate PAC donations. McKinney has sworn off corporate PAC dollars for his congressional campaign but accepted them when running at the state level.
Thanedar has hit McKinney for taking $2,000 in contributions from Matthew Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge, when he ran for the state Legislature.
Big self-funding in northern Michigan race
Matt DenOtter of Boyne City, a candidate running in the GOP primary against Rep. Jack Bergman in northern Michigan, reported $3.2 million in receipts for the quarter, most of which he loaned him campaign with the exception of two individual donations of $500.
DenOtter’s campaign has said he moved to northern Michigan last year with the expansion of his medical management company and decided to run for Congress again after previously losing a bid for Oakland County’s 11th District.
Bergman of Watersmeet brought in $448,800 and closed out with nearly $850,000 in the bank. Another GOP hopeful, Justin Michal, raised just over $10,600 and had about $1,500 cash on hand.
Democrat Callie Barr, who is running for a second cycle, raised about $443,000 and has $571,000 reserved.
Moss depleting war chest in the suburbs
In the safely blue 11th District, which is currently held by U.S. Senate candidate Haley Stevens, Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Moss is using his previous cash advantage to outspend two challengers, even as the fundraising fight has tightened recently.
Moss, of Bloomfield, raised about $250,000 last quarter. That was narrowly more than Don Ufford, a former Ford Motor Co. engineer from Bloomfield Township, who raised $228,000. Attorney Aisha Farooqi of Sterling Heights raised $130,500.
The fuller financial picture in the suburban Detroit race tilts more towards Moss. He has raised $1.2 million since launching his campaign and has spent $800,000 in all — about $350,000 more than Ufford and nearly as much as his two challengers combined.
Ufford has raised over $900,000 and ended the quarter with a small cash advantage over Moss for the final stretch.
Moss, the leader of the state Senate in Lansing, is better known in Michigan political circles and has earned the backing of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a powerful sign for many voters.
Outraised and outspent so far, Ufford has tried to differentiate himself from Moss along one of the fault lines in Democratic party politics this year: support for Israel.
mburke@detroitnews.com
gschwab@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: 6 takeaways from Michigan U.S. House fundraising in recent months
Reporting by Melissa Nann Burke and Grant Schwab, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Melissa Nann Burke and Grant Schwab, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
