Surging amount of Michigan lawmakers and candidates are rejecting Big Utility money

Trend shows taking contributions from DTE and Consumers Energy is a political liability

LANSING – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters today announced that more than 150 lawmakers and candidates for office have pledged to not take political donations from monopoly utility companies DTE and Consumers Energy – a significant jump from a year ago, when Michigan LCV first launched its “No Utility Money Challenge.”

“Our bills are too damn high, and unchecked utility greed is a huge driver of the problem. That’s why an overwhelming number of lawmakers and candidates for office are rejecting monopoly utility money and instead committing themselves to standing with Michiganders when they come for rate increase after rate increase on us,” said Bob Allison, deputy director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “For too long, a broken system has allowed DTE and Consumers to pump millions into politicians’ pocketbooks and campaigns, and now, taking money from them is a political liability – whether you’re a Republican or Democrat.”

Taking the “No Utility Money Challenge” means that Michigan lawmakers and their campaigns have adopted a policy to not knowingly accept more than $200 total of contributions from monopoly utility, PACs, and their lobbyists, executives, employee PACs, associated PACs direct and independent, issue committees, independent expenditure committees, associations, institutions, corporations, or other entities like utility-funded 527s or 501(c)(4)s.

Both DTE and Consumers Energy are two of the biggest political donors in Michigan. In 2022, a nonprofit linked to DTE spent close to $5 million, including on lobbying, advertising and contributions to funds associated with elected officials. A Consumers-funded nonprofit reported spending more than $4.5 million that same year on similar activities. 

The surge in support for rejecting utility money comes as the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics ballot initiative approaches the deadline to turn in signatures. The initiative, which would ban monopoly utilities and other companies with large contracts with the state from making political donations, has seen a groundswell of support as more Michiganders are becoming concerned with corporate influence in politics. 

Several statewide candidates for office have already accepted the Challenge, and support for stronger ethics and accountability standards has come from candidates in both parties. Those candidates include gubernatorial candidates Jocelyn Benson and Chris Swanson, Secretary of State candidate Garlin Gilchrist II, and Attorney General candidate Eli Savit. 

The current Senators and candidates for State Senate who have accepted the challenge to-date are: Abraham Aiyash (SD-1), Mohammad Alam (SD-3), Abbas Alawieh (SD-2), Rebecca Amidon (SD-32), DC Anderson (SD-13), DeAndre Barnes (SD-16), Senator Rosemary K. Bayer (SD-13), Patrick Biange (SD-12), Frank Borsellino (SD-24), Felicia Brabec (SD-15), Theresa Brooks (SD-9), Rep. Erin Byrnes (SD-2), Senator Stephanie Chang (SD-3), Philippe Cicchini (SD-9), John Conyers III (SD-3), Ivan Diaz (SD-29), Kate Gallup (SD-37), Abbie Groff-Blaszak (SD-29), Korey Hall (SD-3), Rashida Harrison (SD-28), Greg Hill (SD-23), Kimberly Hill Knott (SD-3), Robert Hower (SD-22), Stephen Jensen (SD-6), Alysha Johnson (SD-11), Ted Kilvington (SD-28), Chris Kleinjans (SD-31), Rickie Kreuzer (SD-30), Kevin Maas (SD-31), Shadia Martini (SD-7), Dale Murney (SD-20), Ren Nushaj (SD-9), Justin Onwenu (SD-1), Stan Opal (SD-33), April Osentoski (SD-25), Anthony Pennock (SD-18), Senator Dayna Polehanki (SD-5), Rep. Natalie Price (SD-10), Rakesh Ramakrishnan (SD-7), Edlira Sako (SD-24), Senator Sue Shink (SD-14), Eboni Taylor (SD-3), Amanda Treppa (SD-10), Kelli van Ginhoven (SD-38), and Michael White (SD-15).

The current Representatives and candidates for State House who have accepted the challenge to-date are: Phillip Aderhold (HD-106), Othman Alaansi (HD-3), Deanne Austin (HD-8), Jack Bader (HD-97), Crystal Bailey (HD-5), Cranstana Brown Anderson (HD-11), Keith Brusseau (HD-98), Steve Bury (HD-37), Candace Calloway (HD-5), Lily Cheng-Schulting (HD-80), Rep. Betsy Coffia (HD-103), Rep. Jennifer Conlin (HD-48), Angel Coon (HD-102), Rachel Crowther (HD-90), Rep. Jim DeSana (HD-29), Rep. Emily Dievendorf (HD-77), Rep. Kimberly L. Edwards (HD-12), Anthony Eid (HD-9), Luke Eising (HD-101), Darryl Ervin (HD-9), Omar Ferdin (HD-30), Kimberly Fisher (HD-11), Rep. Morgan Foreman (HD-33), David Forgione (HD-99), Ryan Foster (HD-18), Kelly Garrett (HD-18), Chris Gilmer-Hill (HD-8), Rep. Kristian Grant (HD-82), Isaiah Grays (HD-68), Rachel Gross (HD-78), Arthur Harrington (HD-9), Bryant Hepp (HD-9), Rep. Kara Hope (HD-74), AnnMarie Horseman (HD-95), Michael Howard (HD-11), Brian Irizarry (HD-110), Aaron Iturralde (HD-74), Rachel Keys (HD-108), Fedor Kinaya (HD-8), Bill Korb (HD-42), Frank LaFata (HD-91), David Lauer (HD-6), Brendan Leddy (HD-52), Rich Li (HD-29), Rachel Longendyke-Teeter (HD-105), Rep. Matt Longjohn (HD-40), Rep. Sharon MacDonell (HD-56), Melanie Macey (HD-6), Katrina Manetta (HD-58), Joseph McClusky (HD-86), Rep. Mike McFall (HD-14), Robert McFarland (HD-63), Rep. Donavan McKinney (HD-11), Rep. Denise Mentzer (HD-61), Rep. Reggie Miller (HD-31), Soummer Moore-Crawford (HD-5), Rep. Jason Morgan (HD-23), Gary Murrell (HD-51), Hassan Nehme (HD-15), Roslyn Ogburn (HD-4), Tom Owensby (HD-52), Kris Pachla (HD-80), Rep. Veronica Paiz (HD-10), Kiel Reid (HD-88), Rep. Carrie A. Rheingans (HD-47), Jason Robbins (HD-59), Regina Ross (HD-4), Nick Rowe (HD-42), Tracy Ruell (HD-100), Brendan Ryan (HD-107), Serenity Salak (HD-93), Stephen Schlaack (HD-71), Gary Schlack (HD-2), Zachary Shinabargar (HD-39), Rick Silva (HD-9), Matthew Smith (HD-62), Jeff Sparling (HD-14), Jen Strebs (HD-41), S David Sullivan (HD-20), Jessica Swartz (HD-41), TyJuan Thirdgill (HD-74), Tom Turner (HD-57), Gary VanBlaricum (HD-95), Rich Vance (HD-101), Rep. Dylan Wegela (HD-26), Tonya Wells (HD-8), Joanna Whaley (HD-2), Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr. (HD-32), Rep. Stephanie A. Young (HD-16), Jordan Youngquist (HD-90), and Ned Zimmer (HD-66).

Michigan LCV’s “No Utility Money Challenge” launched in the spring of 2025 by enhancing its Digital Scorecard, which has always tracked and scored legislators on their environmental and democracy voting records to now track openly publicly-reported and available money from utilities. 

The “Corporate Utility Accountability” portion of Michigan LCV’s Digital Scorecard tracks campaign finance contributions from DTE Energy Company Political Action Committee and CMS Energy Corp Employees for Better Government, PACs for Michigan’s two largest monopoly utility companies. It tracks contributions for all sitting lawmakers since taking office and provides breakdowns by year as well.