MCFN: More Than $100 Million Will Be Spent on Michigan’s Senate Race

Republican challenger John James (left); incumbent Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).

The Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN) on Thursday (10/1) projected the total cost of the U.S. Senate race in Michigan will exceed $100 million this election cycle, based on a compilation of Federal Election Commission filings, ad tracking data from Advertising Analytics and Facebook disclosures.

That report came after the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC announced a $9 million ad buy in the state just four weeks out from the November 3 General Election.

“It’s a race in a battleground state with national significance. Ensuring incumbent Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Hills) retains the seat is key to Democratic hopes of a U.S. Senate majority. With polls relatively close, Republicans see electing challenger John James as a potential backstop for control of the chamber, should seats flip elsewhere,” according to Thursday’s MCFN report.

“The race is on track to surpass the $93.4 million spent on the 2018 race for Michigan Governor to become the most expensive in Michigan’s history. That year the race for Michigan’s other U.S. Senate seat was thrifty by comparison, with a total cost of just $40 million.”

MCFN reports that, to date, 62 ads for the race have run more than 85,000 times on broadcast TV, cable and radio according to Advertising Analytics data.