Money Can't Buy a Movement
How outside groups are trying to buy the Michigan Senate primary
Roughly 10.4 million people live in Michigan. Of those 10.4 million, there are 7,354,552 active voters and 5,691,235 people who voted in the 2024 general election.
With less than a week to go until the primary, Super PACs have spent nearly $60,000,000 on the Michigan senate race. Right around $10 for every 2024 voter in the whole state.
To put these numbers in perspective, lets compare the Super PAC spending to some Michigan-related expenditures:
$51,810,922: Detroit Health Department budget
$78,900,000: Michigan Freshwater Protection Fund
$5,060,636: Wayne County Public Health budget
This amount of outside spending on a primary race is a complete obfuscation of democracy. In an ideal world, candidates win elections based on the merits of their policy positions, not how much money they’ve raised. In this world, candidates are not even judged on how much they have raised but rather, how much outside interest groups are willing to spend on them.
Candidates who are unable to appeal to small dollar donors are relying entirely on outside Super PACs to buoy them across the finish line.
Luckily for us, the infinite money glitch does not always work. Money can buy endless ads on TV, blanket social media with astroturfed endorsements, and bring on the best consultants in the business.
But money can’t buy a movement.
No matter your views on the candidates running in the Michigan Senate primary, we can all agree that a political system bought and paid for by unelected and unaccountable outside groups with unlimited funds is not sustainable.
Join us in the movement that money can’t buy.
Nico + Daniel
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