In the race to become Michigan’s next secretary of state, former state Sen. Adam Hollier has a sizeable cash on hand advantage over other contenders after transferring $244,000 from his congressional campaign to his account.
The transferred money makes up the bulk of the nearly $349,000 Hollier, a Democrat, reported having raised in the most recent quarter ahead of the Monday, Oct. 27 campaign finance reporting deadline. Hollier unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2022 and 2024, and had announced he’d challenge U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, again next year before pivoting to join the secretary of state race in September.
Hollier’s campaign committee reported spending a little more than $4,000 during the most recent quarter. With almost $344,600 in cash on hand at the end of the quarter, Hollier outpaces two other Democratic candidates, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, by sizeable margins.
Former state Sen. Adam Hollier of Detroit.
Byrum, who is also a former state lawmaker, raised over $69,200 in the most recent quarter, her campaign finance statement shows, and after combining those funds with her previous balance, ended the quarter with nearly $103,700 in the bank. Byrum’s campaign spent a bit more than $16,400 in the most recent reporting period.
Edevbie, who was the first major party candidate to enter the race back in January, spent the most of any candidate in the most recent quarter, expending close to $89,500. Campaign finance records show Edevbie’s campaign’s biggest expenditures being on consulting fees and payroll for campaign staff. After raising more than $73,200 in the quarter, Edevbie ended it with close to $34,600 left in the bank.
On the Republican side, Clarkston Community School Board Trustee and attorney Amanda Love raised the most in the quarter, reporting nearly $124,000 in contributions, although a notable portion of those funds came from a personal loan. Love loaned around $52,800 to her campaign, records show. Her campaign spent a little more than $18,300 during the quarter, with an ending balance of almost $105,600.
Another Republican candidate, Oakland GOP delegate Monica Yatooma, also raised over six figures during the quarter. Yatooma’s statement indicated her campaign raised nearly $109,000, while spending around $26,600 and had nearly $82,300 left in the bank.
Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, who joined the race Sept. 24, reported raising around $53,000. After spending a bit more than $10,200, his campaign has almost $42,900 in cash on hand.
Other Republicans who’ve signaled they could enter the race include: Timothy Smith, a Republican from Muskegon County, who reported an ending balance of almost $24, entirely consisting of a debt the campaign owed back to Smith; and Articia Bomer, a Detroit Republican who previously ran for offices including mayor of Detroit, state representative, Wayne County Sheriff and Michigan Governor, who has also formed a committee to run for secretary of state, although she did not submit a quarterly statement ahead of the Oct. 27 deadline.
Party nominees for secretary of state will be determined at nominating conventions next spring. Voters will elect a new chief election official in the November 2026 election. Current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is term limited and cannot run for her position a third time under Michigan law. Benson, a Democrat, is running for governor.
Along with being Michigan’s top elections role, the secretary of state’s office is also responsible for handling things like driver’s licenses and state ID distribution and vehicle title registrations and renewals.
It’s one of several statewide offices on the ballot next fall — Michigan voters will also elect a new governor, attorney general, U.S. Senator and more in 2026.
Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Adam Hollier has fundraising edge over other Michigan SOS candidates
