Politics & Government

Farmington Hills Council Race Draws Thousands in Union PAC Money

Pre-election campaign finance statements filed Oct. 25 show who contributed how much to candidates and issues committees.

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While Farmington city council candidates did not raise any outside campaign dollars, the race for three seats in Farmington Hills has drawn more than $7,000 in PAC (political action committee) money alone. 

Campaign finance statements turned in Oct. 25 show Hills candidate Samantha Steckloff won the pre-election contribution race, with $11,483 in donations. No one else cracked the $10,000 mark:

  • Valerie Knol - $5,740
  • Christopher McRae - $4,919
  • Steven Schwartz - $3,984
  • William Miller III - $3,700
  • Michael Bridges - $3,100
  • Erik Lindquist - $2,865
  • Thomas Wolverton - $2,540 (all in-kind contributions to his own campaign)
  • George Varghese - $2,200
Miller took in the largest amount of PAC money, a total of $4,500 from:
  • Local 1324 Political Activities Committee - $2,000
  • UAW Michigan VPAC - $1,000
  • Michigan Laborers Political League - $500
  • Registrars PAC - $500
  • Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters - $300
  • Plumbers 98 PAC - $200
Steckloff and Bridges each took in $1,000 from UAW Michigan VPAC, and Steckloff received $250 from Operating Engineers Local 324. The Farmington Democratic Club supported Bridges, Lindquist, Schwartz and Steckloff, with contributions of $500 to each campaign. 

Farmington city council race

In the race for three city council seats in Farmington, no one reported outside contributions. Jeff Scott contributed more than $1,900 in in-kind contributions to his own campaign. Greg Cowley, Bill Galvin and Erica Reaves formed committees, but did not spend enough to reach the $1,000 reporting threshold; Mathew Wayne did not form a campaign committee. 

School bond election

Supporters of the Farmington Public Schools bond election, organized as Advocates for Excellence, raised $6,330.84. The group's largest contribution, $1,000, came from Bassett & Bassett, a Detroit firm. Other larger donations came from the Farmington Democratic Club, Natech Corp. of Caledonia, and Farmington Association of School Administrators, $500 each, and the Farmington Coordinating Council, which contributed $499. 

Farmington Kids 1st, the bond opposition group, raised $5,125. Nearly half of that amount, $2,500, came from Management Accounting Services, a business located on Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills. 

To see all campaign finance reports, search the database at oakgov.com. 

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