These Michigan Democrats are raising a lot of cash for Congress run

WASHINGTON — Campaign finance reports show some Democratic challengers to Republican members of Congress in Michigan outraised the incumbents in the past three months of 2017.

Reports detailing fund-raising efforts by members of Congress and their announced challengers in this year's midterm elections were due Wednesday. The reports showed several instances where Democrats had strong fund-raising quarters to close out the year.

For instance:

In Michigan's 1st District, represented by first-term U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman , R-Watersmeet, Marine Corps veteran and Democrat Matt Morgan outraised the incumbent by $174,852 to $130,709 from October through December last year. Bergman, however, outraised Morgan by about $597,000 to $360,000 on the year and maintained a slight lead in cash on hand going into the new year.

, R-Watersmeet, Marine Corps veteran and Democrat outraised the incumbent by $174,852 to $130,709 from October through December last year. Bergman, however, outraised Morgan by about $597,000 to $360,000 on the year and maintained a slight lead in cash on hand going into the new year. In Michigan's 6th District, represented by longtime U.S. Rep. Fred Upton , R-St. Joseph, Democratic challenger George Franklin . posted receipts of $326,816 in the last three months of the year, compared to $216,552 for Upton. The incumbent, however, still had more than $1 million on hand, having raised far more earlier in the year. Franklin, a former head of government affairs for Kellogg, loaned his campaign $100,000 as well.

, R-St. Joseph, Democratic challenger . posted receipts of $326,816 in the last three months of the year, compared to $216,552 for Upton. The incumbent, however, still had more than $1 million on hand, having raised far more earlier in the year. Franklin, a former head of government affairs for Kellogg, loaned his campaign $100,000 as well. In Michigan's 7th District, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg , R-Tipton, raised $287,120 in the last three months of the year compared to $310,512 for former Saline mayor and Democrat Gretchen Driskell . Driskell's reports indicates she gave herself a $50,000 of that -- a donation, not a loan -- and that the vast majority of her funding came from individual donors, with about $36,000 from political action committees, compared to $172,000 in PAC money for Walberg. The incumbent still has a large advantage in cash on hand with about $774,000 to her $419,000.

, R-Tipton, raised $287,120 in the last three months of the year compared to $310,512 for former Saline mayor and Democrat . Driskell's reports indicates she gave herself a $50,000 of that -- a donation, not a loan -- and that the vast majority of her funding came from individual donors, with about $36,000 from political action committees, compared to $172,000 in PAC money for Walberg. The incumbent still has a large advantage in cash on hand with about $774,000 to her $419,000. In Michigan's 8th District, U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, had receipts of $306,480 between October and December compared to $444,629 for former Defense Department official and intelligence officer Elissa Slotkin, who is running as a Democrat. Bishop has a cash-on-hand advantage of more than $250,000 but it is the second quarter in a row in which Slotkin has outraised him.

Meanwhile, in the race for the open seat in the 11th District, from which U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, R-Birmingham, is stepping down, Democratic entrepreneur Suneel Gupta posted receipts of some $504,000, outdistancing any of the other 10 candidates on either side of the political aisle vying for the seat. State Rep. Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, reported contributions of about $329,000 and was the only other Democrat in the race to post more than $200,000 in contributions.

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Among Republicans running in a six-person field to replace Trott, only businesswoman Lena Epstein posted receipts over that mark in the last quarter of the year, with about $384,000. Much of that, $315,000, was in the form of a loan from herself to her campaign. She has loaned herself some $930,000 so far in the race.

Contact Todd Spangler at 703-854-8947 or at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tsspangler.