Politics & Government

Even With Obama in Town, Birmingham Spends More on Romney

Although the president will be visiting Bingham Farms on Wednesday for a high-profile fundraiser, nearby Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham are the top two fundraising cities for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

President Barack Obama will be in Bingham Farms tonight , but when it comes to raising money, Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills are big cash sources for Obama’s Republican rival and Michigan native, Mitt Romney.

Obama will be visiting the Bingham Farms home of Birmingham businesswoman Denise Ilitch and her husband Jim Scalici for a high-profile fundraiser and cocktail reception.

Tickets for the evening reception, formal photo and dinner are $40,000, while the cost for the dinner and a candid photo is $10,000.

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However, the Birmingham-Bloomfield area is full of deep-pocketed Romney supporters. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills rank as Romney’s top two Michigan cities for fundraising.

Bloomfield Hills, where Romney grew up, ranks at the top of the pack; $450,691 has been raised from Bloomfield Hills residents so far. Birmingham comes in second, where Romney has raised $188,400 since the beginning of the primary election.

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In comparison, Obama has raised the most cash in Ann Arbor, where he has collected $243,603. According to the Free Press, University of Michigan employees account for more than one-fourth of Ann Arbor’s total donations.

In total, Romney has raised $1.1 million throughout Michigan. Obama has raised a little less than $700,000.

“It doesn’t surprise me” that Romney leads Obama in Michigan fundraising, former Gov. Jim Blanchard, a Democratic supporter of Obama told the Free Press. “Romney worked Michigan really, really hard in 2008.”

Also on Wednesday, Obama will be visiting the Henry Ford in Dearborn. Tickets there cost up to $5,000 a person.

Individuals can give up to $2,500 to a candidate’s campaign in both the primary and general elections. The limit for giving to national political parties, however, is $30,800.


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