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Snyder tops Bernero in fundraising for Mich. gov
By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN, AP Political Writer
LANSING, Oct. 22, 2010 (AP): Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder has raised $3.5 million in the past two months, hiking his total to $11.6 million, far outdistancing Democratic rival Virg Bernero.
The wealthy Ann Arbor businessman reports having $2.3 million on hand as of last Sunday, while Bernero reports he had around $168,000, according to campaign finance statements filed Friday with the secretary of state's office.
That gives Snyder enough cash to easily keep his campaign ads running until Nov. 2.
He didn't have to run any ads until recently because the Republican Governors Association, which got $5.4 million from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, has run more than $2 million in anti-Bernero ads on his behalf. Snyder's campaign has spent $1.7 million in the past two months.
Snyder gave his campaign $6.1 million leading up to the Aug. 3 primary election but hasn't contributed any money since then. The Michigan Republican Party has given him $62,000, but he hasn't taken any money from political action committees. All his donors in the past two months appear to have given the maximum $3,400.
Bernero raised $744,000 from donors in the past two months and qualified for $1.1 million in public funds. He has raised $1.8 million in private funds since kicking off his campaign this year and has spent nearly all of it.
Unions were his biggest general election contributors, although several unions that helped in the primary—including the United Auto Workers and Michigan Education Association political action committees—were absent in this latest round of giving.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers COPE fund gave Bernero's campaign a total of $24,800, while Operating Engineers Local 324 gave $20,000.
The Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers contributed $27,500 and the Miller Canfield law firm's political action committee gave $26,700.
Those giving Bernero at least $10,000 included the political action committees of the Communication Workers of America, Auto Dealers of Michigan, Teamsters Local 1038, Teamsters Local 229 and the Michigan Nurses Association.
The Michigan Democratic State Central Committee is running ads to help Bernero in the closing week of the campaign.
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