The gubernatorial campaigns of Democrat Jennifer Granholm and Republican Dick DeVos have spent a total of $16.7 million on television advertising through August 31. The Dick DeVos for Governor campaign has spent $12.8 million on advertising since mid-February, with DeVos being the source of 80% of his campaign funds. The Jennifer Granholm campaign spent $469,000 for a series of ads near the August primary and the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee has spent $3.5 million since early June. The Michigan Democratic Party ad campaign’s funding sources are undisclosed as they are running ads that define the two candidates but not making explicit references to the November election, thereby bypassing disclosure laws. Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, the group that conducted the research, describe the ad campaigns as “...dueling marketing campaigns of one exceptionally wealthy individual against anonymous persons and interest groups.”

In the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo combined market, DeVos has spent $2,376,045 dollars while the Granholm campaign and the Michigan Democratic Party have spent $97,580 and $795,275.