How to Help Democrats Win in Michigan: Last-Minute Recommendations for Donors
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In the last decade, rarely has an election cycle passed where Michigan was not targeted by both Republicans and Democrats eager to shift power at the state and federal levels. As one of the country’s few remaining “purple” states, Michigan has commanded huge amounts of campaign cash for races at all levels in 2022, with stakes far beyond next month’s midterm elections. Statewide offices up for grabs — including governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and two state supreme court seats — could be decisive, not only in charting the state’s future, but in deciding the winner of the 2024 presidential election.
Moreover, Michigan Republicans control the state’s two legislative chambers by only a few seats, and with a major ballot measure seeking to enshrine reproductive freedom into the state’s constitution, Democrats have a serious chance to take complete control of the state government while protecting women’s access to abortion.
Blue Tent has consistently pointed to Michigan as a top priority for Democratic donors in 2022, and while we’ve shifted priorities for specific races, we still consider this to be one of the most important places for donor investment. So with campaigns barreling into the final weeks of the election, here are our top recommendations for helping Democrats get over the finish line in 2022:
Movement Voter Project Michigan Fund.
Reproductive Freedom for All (to enact Prop 3).
Veronica Klinefelt, State Senate.
Padma Kuppa, State Senate.
Kyra Harris Bolden, State Supreme Court.
Below we run through the electoral landscape in Michigan and explain our recommendations, as well as why we are not recommending certain candidates. For additional analysis, along with more giving options, see our brief, Building Progressive Power and Winning Elections in Michigan: Options for Donors.
Organizing and GOTV
As a general rule, Blue Tent recommends that donors prioritize giving for organizing and voter mobilization over candidates. Such work helps win races up and down the ballot and also builds progressive power over the long term. Supporting efforts to turn out voters is especially important in the final weeks of an election, since close races are so often decided by who shows up at the polls. That will certainly be true this year in Michigan.
Movement Voter Project’s Michigan Fund is the best option for donors looking to make last-minute gifts to support mobilization work in the state. As an intermediary, MVP primarily focuses on getting money to effective grassroots organizations. Its state funds focus on groups in crucial battlegrounds, like Michigan, and MVP does the hard work for donors of determining where, exactly, money will be most effective at the right moment. MVP is supporting a number of key groups engaged in grassroots organizing and GOTV efforts in Michigan, and adding to that support could help make an impact on the results this November. Investing through MVP will also support longer-term efforts to build progressive power and political change from the grassroots in Michigan.
Abortion Rights Ballot Measure
Like many states, Michigan has had an abortion ban written into law going back decades before Roe v. Wade. Proposition 3 seeks to overturn that law by enshrining a right to reproductive freedom into the Michigan constitution.
Michiganders will also be considering ballot measures to protect voting rights and alter requirements for term limits. All three measures were found to be very popular in a recent poll, but Prop 3 is by far the most galvanizing to turn out Democratic voters, especially those who might otherwise sit out a midterm election. Getting some last-minute cash into the coffers of Prop 3 supporters is a great way to help rally the Democratic base down the stretch, boosting candidates throughout the state.
Candidates in Key Races
Earlier this cycle, we identified Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as high-priority candidates for small donors. Fortunately, both went on to raise massive war chests and would now benefit only marginally from further giving. The same is true of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who currently has a wide lead in both fundraising and the polls.
In contrast, last-minute donations would be helpful for two down-ballot candidates running in tight races that could determine who controls Michigan’s State Senate: Padma Kuppa and Veronica Klinefelt. These two, like many other state legislative candidates, will have far lower name recognition and may still need cash for baseline operations, even at this point in the campaign. (Read our recommendation of Kuppa.)
Last-minute donations could also help advance Democrats' efforts to secure and expand their hold on Michigan’s State Supreme Court. (The top court currently has a 4-3 Democratic majority.) Incumbent Richard Bernstein is running for reelection and State Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden is challenging Republican Brian Zahra. As we’ve explained here, the battle over state supreme courts has become increasingly important as the U.S. Supreme Court devolves more power to the states. Michigan is a case in point. Control of the high court could determine outcomes on key issues such as abortion access and voting rights, and also be a factor in any legal fights around the 2024 election results. While we think Bernstein is likely to easily win reelection, we believe that donating to Bolden should be a priority for small donors.