With the 2022 midterm elections now just a year and a week away, it might be a good time to check in with how the candidates that are vying to line up as the GOP candidate for Governor are doing. Well, at least in the department of CASH.

The Michigan primary to select who will be facing incumbent Gretchen Whitmer is August 2nd, 2022 — just 275 days away. So, let’s go to the tote board to see who is in the (money) race.

From WXMI

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig reported raising more than $1.42 million dollars this past quarter, besting 11 other candidates vying for the GOP nomination for Michigan governor.

Last quarter was the first Craig was required to report, after opening his campaign committee back in July.

“I’m humbled and honored at the outpouring of support we are seeing from Michiganders across this state,” Craig said in a statement.

Craig, who many have pointed to as a favorite to win the GOP primary, received contributions from former Michigan GOP Governors Rick Snyder and John Engler.

Kalamazoo-based chiropractor Garrett Soldano came in second among GOP contenders, raising more than $495,979 this quarter. His grassroots campaign has raised $1.1 million to date. “I’m incredibly proud of this campaign and grateful to our supporters who contribute to our vision for a better Michigan,” Soldano said in a news release.

James Craig, the former top cop in Detroit, hauling in almost 1.5 million is not bad. Yet, that does not put him in the lead position as a sure thing. Trailing him is a gentleman by the name of Garrett Soldano, who was one of the leaders of pushing back against the COVID shutdown that Whitmer shoved down this state’s throat.

When you see that Whitmer has doubled the total of Craig and has a sizeable war chest, plus will have no competition in this race from her own party, that should make you pause.

Meanwhile incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer raised more than $3.1 million last quarter, bringing her reelection campaign’s fundraising total to a record-breaking $17 million this cycle.

I never, and I mean NEVER, underestimate the ability of the leadership of the GOP in Michigan to screw up a golden opportunity here. Whitmer has a lot of money but she is still beatable due to the horrendous job she has done since the COVID hit.

Gretch was just caught in Washington, D.C., a week ago not wearing her mask at a bar, and that brought up memories of when she did the same thing here in the state. My colleague Sister Toldjah wrote about this earlier this year right here. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Embarrasses Herself in Pathetic ‘Apology’ for Latest COVID Order Violation.

Even with the memory of her botching this state response not too far in our rearview mirror, she could still win reelection, as unbelievable as that sounds.

One of the best ways to ensure this does not happen is for the GOP brass to stay OUT of the primary process and let it be fought out among the candidates. If the grassroots folks that make up the backbone of the party feel the scales are being tipped in any way, they will sit home and have done it before. That would be a disaster for this state and allow Whitmer to win easily.

I covered my worries in a piece here the other day called Michigan Has a Glut of GOP Candidates Filing a Year Before the 2022 Elections — Can They Win? because this overall point is valid here. Will the GOP do a shoot-itself-in-the-foot maneuver, as it has done before?

From that article…

Michigan, at times, shows some bright shades of purple that make some people both in the state and around the country think that we are a trending-red state. I would disagree with that in a very brisk, loud, vocal manner and tell you that this is a blue state that can venture purple on occasion. The last Republican Governor we had was John Engler and he left office at the end of 2002. Rick Snyder had an R after his name and was elected because he was more like a Democrat than a Republican. He finally made that “transition” official when he endorsed Joe Biden in the last Presidential election Finally, the last Republican Senator in this state was there for one term and left office in 2001. We have had some impressive candidates run against the two boring duds we have here and they lost.

I do not have a horse in the race yet, and I look forward to the candidates making their case as to why they would be the best alternative on the ballot to Gretchen Whitmer.

I just hope they do it soon, so the nominee can start teeing off on Whitmer’s record for the past three years.