LANSING – The Michigan Campaign Finance Network released data on Wednesday showing candidates in competitive statewide races have been largely outspent by independent groups when it comes to television advertisements being aired around the state.

Out of $4.4 million spent on television ads supporting Governor Rick Snyder, $1.4 million came from his own campaign, with the rest coming from outside groups. $5.6 million has been spent on ads supporting Democratic challenger Mark Schauer, with only $823,000 coming from the campaign.

The same trend of outside groups spending more on television than the candidates is true for the U.S. Senate race between U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Hills) and Republican candidate Terri Land.

Land has spent $3.95 million on TV ads and Mr. Peters has spent $1.3 million. Outside groups attacking Mr. Peters, including Americans for Prosperity, have spent $8 million.

AFP hasn’t bought any ad time since June supporting Ms. Land. Another group called Freedom Partners, which like AFP receives funding from Charles and David Koch, had a buy for August, but canceled.

Outside groups supporting Peters, including Senate Majority PAC, controlled by U.S. Senate Democrats, have spent $5.7 million.

In the Detroit market, $6.6 million has been spent on ads supporting Land and $3.5 million supporting Peters.

Ads supporting Snyder in the Detroit market have totaled $2.9 million and ads supporting Schauer equal $3.3 million. In the smaller markets outside of Detroit and Grand Rapids, Schauer and Democrats have outspent Mr. Snyder and Republicans by more than 2-to-1.

Only two of the groups, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Ending Spending Action Fund, buying ads in support of Ms. Land, disclose the identities of their donors. For Mr. Peters, only the nonprofit League of Conservation Voters and A Stronger Financial Michigan, a subsidiary of the Michigan Credit Union League, do not disclose donors.

However, WJBK, FOX-2 in Detroit, is withholding all “issue” ads about state candidates, which means those sponsored by the Republican Governors Association and Democratic Governors Association. Additionally, WZZM, ABC-13 in Grand Rapids, is withholding ad contracts of the Republican Governors Association and WXYZ, ABC-7 in Detroit, began withholding contracts of the RGA in August.

“I understand that broadcasters are businesses as well as news organizations,” Rich Robinson of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Michigan Campaign Finance Network, said in a statement. “But broadcasters, as license holders of the public’s airwaves, have an obligation to serve the public interest and they should not be withholding information about who is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in our state political campaigns. I sincerely hope these broadcasters who are not disclosing records of their political ad sales will reconsider their position.”

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com