By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI –
Campaign reports filed Monday with the state show how much money political candidates raised and how much they spent. This is the first indication of the fiscal viability of the campaigns.
Tom Shields is a Republican campaign consultant. He says it's going to be harder than usual in 2010 to get prospective donors to write checks. He says that means candidates will have to show they're spending money wisely, and connecting with voters.
"You don't want to give to a losing cause," he says. "They want to give to a candidate who can win. So each one of these candidates is going to have to prove to their doors that they have what it takes to get to Election Day. And the less money you have in the bank or the lower you are in the polls at any given time is a deterrent to your fundraising."
That was a problem for Lieutenant Governor John Cherry, who raised $1.4 million before dropping out of the race for governor last month. Campaign filings show he had just $118,000 left going into the 2010 election season.