Who's leading the money race in Michigan's U.S. Senate contest?

U.S. Senate hopefuls in Michigan disclosed their fundraising hauls for the first three months of the election year Monday, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin retained a huge advantage in the money race headed into the last six months of the campaign.

Slotkin posted $4.4 million in total receipts, spent $1.8 million and reported $8.6 million in cash reserves at the end of March. Her campaign also disclosed over $345,550 in debt for consulting fees and media and direct mail productions.

The three-term congresswoman from Holly raised more campaign cash in the three-month period than the four most prominent Republican contenders reported in combined donations ($3.8 million).

Coming behind Slotkin with $2.1 million cash on hand was businessman Sandy Pensler of Grosse Pointe Park, who is seeking the Republican nomination. That came not from donors but almost entirely from $2 million that Pensler loaned his campaign on March 31, the final day of the quarter, for a total $3 million that he's self-funded in his second bid for the Senate.

Pensler only received about $1,400 in individual donations over the three-month period from two donors, according to a campaign finance report filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission.

The frontrunner for the GOP nomination, former seven-term U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Brighton, raised just over $1 million last quarter and ended with $1.38 million in cash reserves, according to his disclosure report.

Rogers has the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and last month won the endorsement of former President Donald Trump; however, Trump's nod didn't seem to translate into a significant fundraising boost yet. Rogers' total for the quarter was slightly less than his haul for the last three months of 2023.

More:Mike Rogers targets China in Senate campaign, but his own connections draw criticism

Rogers and several other Senate candidates were also outraised by a few U.S. House candidates from Michigan last quarter, including U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit ($1.97 million raised and $5.2 million cash on hand); John James, R-Shelby Township ($1.07 million and $2.9 million in cash reserves) and former state Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-East Lansing ($1.33 million raised and $2.1 million in the bank), who is running for Slotkin's seat in mid-Michigan.

The Senate candidates are competing for the open seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, in what's shaping up to be an expensive contest. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the Michigan race as "leans" Democratic.

Quarter after quarter, Slotkin demonstrates that her reputation as a "prodigious" fundraiser is well-deserved, said Dave Dulio, a political scientist at Oakland University.

"Should she win the Democratic primary, she will have no trouble raising the funds needed to wage a competitive statewide general election campaign," Dulio said.

"While Mike Rogers' total is lower than some may have expected, I expect ― should he win the GOP primary ― that his campaign will also have the resources needed to be competitive in November. There is work to do, however."

Dulio noted that in 2020, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, and GOP nominee James each raised around $50 million for their bids. Another $100 million was spent by outside groups that cycle.

"This fundraising battle is just getting started," Dulio said. "If James could raise that much four years ago, I don't see why Rogers couldn't. In fact, he might be in a better position, given his time in the House and political connections made over the years."

In another solid showing, former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Cascade Township, who is seeking the GOP nomination, raised nearly $478,500 in just four and a half weeks, having jumped into the race late at the end of February. Amash, a Republican-turned-Libertarian, ended the quarter with over $740,230 in cash on hand as of March 31.

“We continue to substantially outpace every other Republican candidate in contributions week after week," Amash said in a statement. "We’re going to win this thing for liberty, the Constitution, and everyone in Michigan — and no amount of wish-casting by the big-spending, anti-freedom establishment is going to stop us.”

Former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids Township, reported $314,734 in receipts, including $80,000 he gave his campaign. He spent more than than he brought in, about $460,260, and finished the quarter with $243,967 cash on hand. Meijer donated $3,300 from his leadership PAC called Ginger PAC to his campaign.

Another GOP candidate, Michael Hoover of Laingsburg, announced Monday he was ending his Senate bid.

In the Democratic primary with Slotkin, Hill Harper of Detroit, the actor and author, reported having just over $441,300 in the bank as of March 31.

Harper brought in nearly $358,000 from individual donors and gave his campaign $350,000 last quarter, according to his disclosure report filed late Monday. He spent just over $426,000.

More:Hill Harper omitted millions in investments, real estate, income made from acting and speeches

Democratic businessman Nasser Beydoun of Dearborn brought in $172,855 in mostly small-dollar donations, but he spent well over that, $345,232. His campaign reported about $148,700 in the bank.

The contest for Stabenow's seat this year could be key in deciding which party controls the Senate in 2025. 

mburke@detroitnews.com