Latest report shows major Snyder Administration officials, Trump loyalists, and prominent far-right Republican donors bankrolling Duggan’s campaign
LANSING — Mike Duggan’s far-right Republican ties are continuing to grow as his latest campaign finance report shows Duggan raking in cash from Trump loyalists and prominent Republican donors, making it clear that Duggan cannot be trusted to stand up for Michigan families. Duggan’s growing Republican support comes after he’s praised Republican Speaker Matt Hall, who has grinded the state’s budget process to a halt and been in lockstep with Trump, and also embraced Elon Musk and his proposed new third party, saying that Musk has his attention and that Musk would be the first person Duggan goes and visits if elected.
Chris Long, a Michigan Republican leader, has said that Duggan’s increasing ties to Republicans is “growing fractures within the state GOP” and that Republicans donors supporting Duggan are motivated by self-interest and “What’s going to make them profit? What’s going to give them access?”
Duggan has long been motivated by serving himself and his wealthy special-interest friends who have funded his political career, including undermining a federal bribery investigation into one of his “closest allies” by outing a confidential FBI informant.
“Mike Duggan’s self-serving vanity campaign is being bankrolled by Trump loyalists and career Republicans who want to drag Michigan backwards,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman. “It’s clear by this latest report that Duggan is in the pocket of Trump and Republicans and cannot be trusted to stand up for Michigan families.”
A new report from the Detroit Metro Times shows through the first half of 2025, Duggan received major donations from prominent Trump supporters, Snyder administration officials, and Republican donors:
- $8,325 from Ronald Weiser, the former Chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 2017–2019 and 2021–2023. Weiser is a major Trump ally and played a prominent fundraising role in each of Trump’s campaigns. Weiser’s son and daughter-in-law also each donated $8,325 to Duggan.
- $8,325 from Jeff Sakwa, who was co-chair of the MIGOP alongside Trump-backed Ronna McDaniel. Sakwa recently attended a ritzy fundraiser for Duggan and wrote there are a “ton of Republicans” backing Duggan.
- $8,325 from multimillionaire charter school executive and major GOP donor JC Huizenga, who led the effort to legalize charter schools in Michigan.
- $8,325 from Kathleen Trott, wife of former Republican Congressman David Trott.
- $8,300 from Peter and Danialle Karmanos, who has contributed $125,000 to Trump’s Victory Fund and nearly $200,000 to the Michigan Republican Party.
- Several max-out donations from the Nicholson family, who are prominent Republican donors and gave more than $230,000 to Michigan House Republicans.
- $5,500 donation from Rich Baird, a Snyder Administration official who was criminally charged for his role in the Flint Water crisis
- $5,000 donation from David Schostak, a major GOP donor and brother of former MIGOP Chair Bobby Schostak.
- $1,000 donation from Nick Khouri, the Republican State Treasurer under Rick Snyder.
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