Elissa Slotkin flexes muscle in Michigan Senate race

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) reserved $8 million in ad space in Michigan to be used near the final weeks of her campaign for the Senate .

Slotkin is the likely Democratic candidate who is looking to take over the seat of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), which she has held since 2001.

“This investment will be key to engaging and turning out voters in the final weeks of the campaign and sending Elissa Slotkin to the U.S. Senate,” Slotkin campaign spokesman Austin Cook said in a statement .

Come October and November, the ads will play in the Detroit, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Flint media markets across broadcast, cable, and digital platforms, according to a release sent to the Associated Press .

The ad space was reserved before President Joe Biden’s lackluster debate performance last week, which has some Democrats concerned about the effect low enthusiasm surrounding the Democratic presidential ticket could have on down-ballot candidates.

“[It] was a bad night for the president, and it was not a good night for the Democratic Party writ large,” John LaBombard, a former top aide to former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), told the Hill . “It made it harder. It for sure made it harder. Every Democrat on the ballot would have benefitted from a terrific debate performance by Joe Biden.”

Since Slotkin announced her run in February 2023, she has raised more than $16 million and had $8.6 million in cash on hand as of the latest campaign finance update in April. She has far outraised any Republican challenger ahead of the state’s Aug. 6 primary.

Three Republicans are looking for the party's nomination. Former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Still, Rogers has only raised $2.9 million as of the latest campaign finance report.

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Last month, the National Republican Senatorial Committee announced a $100 million investment into ad space in swing states, including Michigan. Other national Republican groups have reserved $14 million in Michigan for the time after the primary and before Nov. 5.

Democrats still have made their own buy-ins in the race with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee having reserved about $10 million. Their PAC has also made an additional $17 million investment in ad reservations, according to AdImpact.