In Michigan last week, voters in Senate Districts 8 and 28 elected new members in special elections. The special elections for the two seats came up this year after the Republican incumbents holding the seats resigned to take other positions. Republican candidates in both races held onto the seats for their party, allowing the Republican delegation to maintain its makeup in the Michigan Senate heading into the 2022 election cycle.

A week removed from the races, here is a look back at the financial support underpinning the candidates’ respective campaign strategies heading into Election Day. In both cases, the donations and expenditures reported as of October 20, 2021 correlate strongly with victory at the polls.

Michigan State Senate District 8

In Senate District 8, Republican State Rep. Doug Wozniak won the special election for the seat, easily besting Democrat Martin Genter. Wozniak was already known to local voters as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, while Genter was a former aide for U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly.

The Money in the District 8 Special Election (1/1/2021 – 10/20/2021)

While Wozniak’s campaign spent over $85,000 during the course of his campaign, Genter’s candidate PAC did not file any campaign finance reports by October 20, 2021. When the post- election reports come out in early December, there may be some donations and expenditures reported, but they are unlikely to approach Wozniak’s numbers.

Wozniak defeated Genter, 62 percent to 38 percent.

Michigan State Senate District 28

In state Senate District 28, Republican Mark Huizenga won the special election for the seat, defeating Democrat Keith Courtade. Huizenga is a current state representative and was previously the mayor of Walker. Meanwhile, Courtade is a former Kent County Commissioner and a former employee for General Motors.

The Money in the District 28 Special Election (1/1/2021 – 10/20/2021)

An even more lopsided campaign finance story than Senate District 8, Huizenga spent $11.25 as of October 20, 2021 for every vote he received on election day. In contrast, Courtade only received $560 in contributions, with no spending reported ahead of the special election.

Huizenga defeated Courtade, 61 percent to 37 percent.

Key Takeaway: Little effort focused on challenge ahead of 2022 Elections

Overall, in the Michigan special election races, the Republican candidates raised — and spent — the most money and cruised to victory. In both cases, the Democrat on the ballot did not raise any significant funds in an effort to flip these seats in 2021. It remains to be seen whether the candidates’ campaign accounts will remain so imbalanced across party lines over the next year.

Both Wozniak and Huizenga will be on the ballot once again in 2022 for reelection to their new seats. Republicans currently control both chambers of the Michigan legislature, while Democrats control the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Democrats and their financial supporters may be waiting to focus any legislative efforts on the 2022 general elections. 

Follow the progress of candidate fundraising for all Michigan state-level elections for 2022 using Transparency USA’s 2022 Election Races feature. Want to be informed when post-general election data is available in early December? You can subscribe to Michigan-specific updates, as well as any other states you might be interested in.