Open Detroit City Council races draw big bucks

Clockwise from upper left: Council candidates Latisha Johnson, Fred Durhal III, Gabriela Santiago Romero, Hector Santiago, Regina Ross, and ML Elrick.

Four Detroit City Council seats are up for grabs Tuesday in an election that will pave the way for the highest turnover on the nine-member body in nearly a decade.

The open races attracted the attention of deep-pocketed contributors, and at least one candidate in each has raised more than $100,000. In some races, fundraising has been lopsided, with the disparity most pronounced in District 7, where former State Senator Fred Durhal III is facing teacher Regina Ross. Durhal has raised $109,000 to Ross' apparent zero in the race to replace disgraced ex-City Councilman Gabe Leland, who was recorded soliciting $15,000 from a businessman seeking a favor. 

Corporate PACs, developers, lawyers, and lawmakers are funnelling money to the various candidates, as are many individuals. In District 4, about a third of Latisha Johnson's contributors gave $25 or less, with the overwhelming majority residing in Detroit. More than a third of District 6 contender Gabriella Santiago Romero's contributors also gave $25 or less, though many were from outside the city.

Details on fundraising in the at-large races is available here. Information on the remaining three races for open seats, gleaned from the candidates' latest financial disclosures, is available below.

DISTRICT 4

ML Elrick:

Raised $148,000 with an average contribution of $260

Notable contributors and contributions include:

• $7,500 from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters
• A total of $2,000 from developers and real estate executives Gary Torgow ($1,000), Dov Loketch ($500), Joseph Nusbaum ($500), James Van Dyke ($250)
• $500 from PVS Chairman James Nicholson
• $500 from Jack Entertainment Chairman Matthew Cullen
• A handful of $500 donations from high profile local attorneys including Mike Rataj, Alan Ackerman and Herschel Fink
• $500 from WDET general manager Mary Zatina
• $1,000 from Shauna Morrow, a consultant with Mario Morrow & Associates

Latisha Johnson:

Raised $94,000 with an average contribution of $242

Notable contributors and contributions include: 

• Approximately $16,000 total from the Service Employees International Union's Michigan State Council and Local 1 Michigan Political Education Committee
• $10,000 from the Dan Gilbert-affiliated Rock Holdings Inc. State PAC
• $750 from developer Sanford Nelson and $500 from developer Jason Abro
• $500 from the Rooted in Community Leadership PAC, a committee affiliated with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
• $600 from State Sen. Stephanie’s Chang's changemaker fund, and $100 from the lawmaker herself
• $150 from school board member and former State Rep. Sherry Gay Dagnogo's Strong Women Lead PAC
• $650 from five-time failed mayoral candidate Thomas Barrow, who ran again this year
• $200 from Detroit Police Commissioner Lisa Carter

DISTRICT 6

Hector Santiago 

$32,000 raised with an average contribution of $400

• $12,500 from Rock Holdings Inc. State PAC
• $625 from DTE energy PAC
• $2,000 from Sterling Group CEO Ellie Torgow
• $1,000 from Detroit Regional Chamber PAC
• $75 from Detroit Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia (who works in part for city council)

Gabriela Santiago-Romero

$140,000 raised with an average contribution of $124

Notable contributors and contributions include:

• $8,500 from the Service Employees International Union's Michigan State Council
• $2,100 from Rooted in Community Leadership PAC
• $200 from City of Detroit Chief Storyteller Eric Thomas
• $250 from Stephanie Chang, $100 from Stephanie Chang for Senate and $500 from Stephanies Changemaker Fund
• $100 from Mary Sheffield, $100 from Friends of Mary Sheffield
• $150 from Detroit City Clerk Candidate Denzel McCampbell
• $1,000 from George Mugianis, $250 from developer Richard Hosey
• Dozens of small-dollar contributions from out of state

DISTRICT 7

Fred Durhal

$109,000 raised with an average contribution of $579

Notable contributors and contributions include:

• $12,500 from the Service Employees International Union's Michigan State Council, $3,500 from Local 1 Michigan Political Education Committee
• $14,000 from $12,500 from Rock Holdings Inc. State PAC and $1,000  from Rock vice president of Governmental Affairs Jared Fleisher
• A total of $8,400 from Matthew and Lindsay Moroun, Crown Enterprises president Michael Samhat, and Detroit International Bridge Co. president Dan Stamper
• $250 from Henry ford health PAC
• $1,000 from DTE Energy PAC
• $500 from the Detroit Police Officers Association PAC
• More than $3,000 from current and former Democratic state reps and senators David Knezek ($500), Brian Banks ($500), Samuel Buzz Thomas ($500), Wendell Byrd ($200), Stephanie Chang ($350 total from lawmaker, her campaign, and her changemaker fund), Jeremy Moss for State Senate ($100) and the Moss PAC ($250), Curtis Hertel for Michigan ($250) and Hertel Michigan ($250), Brandon Dillon ($250), Joseph Tate ($250), Harvey Santana ($150), Yousef Rabhi ($100), and Jeff Irwin ($100)
• More than $6,000 from developers and real estate executives and affiliates including Gary and Malka Torgow ($2,000), Anthony Soave ($1,000), George Mugianis ($1,000) Sonya Mays ($500), Christos Moisides ($500), Joel Ferguson ($500), and Christopher Jackson ($250)

Regina Ross 

Ross filed a reporting waiver saying she would not raise more than $1,000 and says her campaign has been entirely self-financed. This is her third time running for District 7 seat.