Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has spent the last year and a half building a national profile, something that’s reflected in her latest campaign finance filings.
More than a third -- 38.6% -- of her donations came from out of Michigan in the latest campaign finance filing.
It’s a trend with an upward trajectory: in 2019, about 8.5% of Whitmer’s direct donations came from out-of-state donors. In 2020, that number increased to 26.4%, and in the most recent filing period, which runs from Jan. 1 though July 20, 38.6% of her donors lived out of state.
(Can’t see the graph? Click here.)
Whitmer campaign spokesperson Mark Fisk said:
“We’re proud of our record-shattering fundraising achievement which our contributors made possible. We have thousands of contributors from all 83 counties in Michigan and the vast majority of our contributions come from Michigan. Governor Whitmer has received national recognition for her leadership during the pandemic and for putting Michigan first, even in the face of attacks from national, out-of-state, special interest groups and right-wing extremists.”
Whitmer’s profile has risen over the last year-plus, starting before the coronavirus pandemic when she gave the Democratic response to then-President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech in 2020.
She gained national prominence by moving early to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan, and national observers put her permanently on the map when she was a contender for Vice President under President Joe Biden.
That national prominence appears to have translated into national donations. Here’s a map showing which states saw donors send the most money her way in the most recent reporting period:
(Can’t see the map? Click here.)
Whitmer had a blockbuster fundraising period, raising over $8.5 million. That wallet wallop was made possible, in part, by donations that went above the level that is typically allowed. Whitmer’s campaign is relying on decades-old declaratory rulings that indicate jumbo contributions are allowed if a candidate is facing recall.
There are a number of recalls pending against Whitmer, although none immediately appear poised for success.
Her out-of-state donors helped with both those jumbo donations and the smaller ones that helped her end this period with $10.7 million in cash on hand.
See her out-of-state donors this period here:
(Can’t see the database? Click here.)
More on MLive:
Oversized donations to Whitmer prompt campaign finance complaint
Whitmer’s blockbuster fundraising was fueled by jumbo donations over normal limit
Garrett Soldano out-raises other Republican candidates for governor at $625k
A year-plus out from the election, Whitmer’s already topped her own fundraising from 2018
As Whitmer’s national brand grew, so did her out-of-state fundraising