Business executives put their money where their political interests are, naturally.
That translates into a significant fund-raising lead for Detroit mayoral candidate Mike Duggan over his main rival, The Detroit News reports.
Former Detroit Medical Center CEO Mike Duggan has raised nearly double what Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon has as the Aug. 6 primary election approaches, campaign finance reports filed Friday show.
Both Duggan and Napoleon carry a huge edge over their competitors in funding and show the campaign is a two-person race, experts said Friday. Duggan has raised about $1.1 million so far and has spent nearly $1 million of his funds. He has a balance of nearly $98,000. Napoleon has collected more than $600,000 and has spent $514,000. He’s left with $92,000.
Duggan’s contributions include high-profile CEOs such as William Ford, Roger Penske and Peter Karmanos. Each gave the maximum $3,400.
Those direct contributions to each candidate's campaign fund don't count gifts to their separate "Super Political Action Committees," as Kevin Dietz reported Friday night on WDIV. Duggan's committee, Turnaround Detroit, received more than $1.4 million. Napoleon's Detroit Forward Super PAC raised $70,000.
Related coverage: Roger Penske Gives Mike Duggan's PAC a Record $500,000
Duggan is campaigning as a write-in candidate after being knocked off the ballot because he filed petitions to run before he had lived in Detroit for the required full year.
His campaign manager, Bryan Barnhill, tells Darren Nichols of The News that donations surged after the campaign restarted. Backers know extra spending is needed to inform voters about the write-in procedure.
Duggan’s fundraising stretches throughout Metro Detroit and comes from a variety of professions, including prominent attorneys, doctors and politicos.
Nichols lists these high-profile givers in addition to the three above:
- Cindy Pasky, Strategic Staffing Solutions CEO Cindy Pasky
- Frank Torre, CEO of Torre & Bruglio landscaping
- Jim Jenkins of Jenkins Construction; and
- Art Van Elslander, head of Art Van furniture
- Kelly Rossman, CEO of the Truscott Rossman group
- Quicken Loans Political Action Committee, $34,000
- Blue Cross PAC, $15,000
- Detroit Regional Chamber PAC, $12,000.
- Miller Canfield PAC, $5,000
For his part, Napoleon received the maximum $3,400 contributions from TV judge Greg Mathis and Dan Stamper, head of the Ambassador Bridge company. Towing company owner Gasper Fiore contributed $3,000 and Sharon McPhail gave $1,000.
These PACs are atop the sheriff's list of donors:
- Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, $30,000
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield, $15,000
- Detroit Police Lieutenant and Sergeants Association, $6,000
- Detroit Police Officers Association, $1,000
