Michigan governor’s race could cost $100 million as DeVos family

The wealthy DeVos family is pouring millions of dollars into its long established political network to help Republican candidate Tudor Dixon overtake Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in what could be one of the most expensive races in the 2022 midterm elections.

State records show that since the beginning of May, DeVos family members contributed more than $4 million to outside groups that have either supported Dixon or blasted Whitmer. That massive total includes $1 million by DeVos family members toward Michigan Families United, a pro-Dixon super PAC that spent more than $2.5 million on broadcast and cable ads in the primary, according to data from AdImpact.

The DeVos family has a net worth of at least $2 billion, according to Forbes, and has worked to influence Michigan politics for decades. Michigan Families United did not return repeated requests for comment.

The family made their original fortunes after the late Richard DeVos Sr. co-founded multilevel marketing company Amway. His son Doug DeVos is now co-chairman of Amway’s board of directors. Doug’s brother, Dick DeVos, was president of Amway before he ran for governor of Michigan in 2006 and lost to Jennifer Granholm, who later became President Joe Biden‘s Transportation secretary. Dick DeVos is married to former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The Michigan Freedom Fund and Michigan Freedom Network, both tied to the DeVos family, have recently run Facebook ads taking aim at Whitmer, according to the social media giant’s ad archive.

Maeve Coyle, a spokeswoman for Whitmer’s campaign, ripped Dixon’s alliance with the DeVos family in a statement to CNBC.

“Tudor Dixon has been propped up by special interests and millions from the DeVos family because she supports their dangerous agenda to dismantle public education and divert hundreds of millions of dollars in funding away from Michigan public schools,” Coyle said. She added that Whitmer has led the state in “making historic investments in K-12 education, closing the school funding gap, and putting 170,000 Michiganders on a path to tuition-free higher education and skills training – without raising any taxes.”

Representatives for Betsy and Dick DeVos, Dixon, the Michigan Freedom Fund and the Michigan Freedom Network did not return requests for comment.

The Michigan Freedom Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, has been airing ads opposing Whitmer since she became governor in 2018, including as recently as this month where the group tied her alliance to Biden and the state’s economy. Greg McNeilly, who has been a close political advisor to the DeVos family for more than a decade, chaired the organization up until this year. McNeilly, who was also Dick DeVos’ campaign manager for his failed run for governor in 2006, is now CEO of the DeVos founded investment firm Windquest Group. The nonprofit does not publicly disclose its donors.

The Michigan Freedom Network, a political action committee affiliated with the nonprofit, raised more than…