The Michigan People’s Campaign is a grassroots organizing group that advocates for left-of-center policies while organizing local communities to support the campaigns of Democratic Party candidates in Michigan. ^{1 2 3} It is operated by left-of-center advocacy group Michigan United and affiliated with the People’s Action Institute. ^{4 5}

Background and Leadership

The Michigan People’s Campaign is a grassroots organizing group that engages in political organizing efforts, lobbies for elected officials, operates get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaigns, and organizes and events to support left-of-center policies and the campaigns of Democratic Party-aligned candidates for office. ² It is the lobbying and electoral advocacy affiliate of the charitable nonprofit Michigan United and the super PAC Michigan People’s Choice. ⁶

Michigan People’s Campaign was founded in 2013 by activist and consultant Ryan Bates. ^{7 4} Kenneth R. Whittaker is the executive director of the group as of 2021. ⁴ Its board president is Ruben O. Martinez, a retired sociology professor at Michigan State University. ⁸

Activism

The Michigan People’s Campaign promotes political organizing among low-income communities across Michigan. It advocates for left-of-center policies on racial inequality, immigration, criminal justice, health care, and the environment. ³

The group advocates on policies such as single-payer health care, government-funded long-term care insurance, and labor union-backed “living wage” requirements for health care workers. ⁹ It claims that Black voters in Michigan are victims of “voter suppression” and has organized demonstrations promoting this view. ¹⁰

In 2022, Michigan People’s Campaign activists hung a Black Lives Matter banner on a privately owned lighthouse off Mackinac Island that was located near a statewide policy conference hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce. ¹¹ Local police evicted the activists and removed the banner, while no charges were filed. ¹¹

In 2020, the Michigan People’s Campaign endorsed U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries, before endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden in the general election. ^{12 13} That year, the group was part of a coalition of five grassroots organizations that coordinated get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts within Detroit in support of Biden and other Democratic candidates. ¹⁴

In 2021, the Michigan People’s Campaign was part of a coalition organized by Progress Michigan that advocated for U.S. Congress to pass the Biden administration’s Build Back Better Act. ¹⁵

The group is also part of a coalition advocating towards limiting or prohibiting political donations from investor-owned electrical utilities in Michigan. ¹⁶

Funding

In 2023, the Michigan People’s Campaign received a $750,000 three-year grant from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations. ¹⁷

The Michigan People’s Campaign has also received support from left-of-center groups including the Way to Lead PAC and NOPE! Neighbors Organized for Power and Equality. ^{18 19}

FEC Settlement

In 2022, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) filed a complaint against the Michigan People’s Choice super PAC and Kenneth Walker as the super PAC’s treasurer over $268,000 in reported contributions. ⁵ In its response, Walker claimed that the money had come from the People’s Action Institute, but the Michigan People’s Campaign was the intended recipient. He further claimed the initial reporting was a bookkeeping error for the funds to have been deposited in the Michigan People’s Choice super PAC accounts. ⁵ In a negotiated settlement, Michigan People’s Choice and Whittaker agreed to improve internal operations and pay a $8,500 civil penalty. ⁶

1. “People over Profit: MI Peoples Campaign.” Michigan Peoples Campaign. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.mipeoples.org/.
2. “Michigan Peoples Campaign, IRS Form 990 .” ProPublica, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/464173944/202331359349309008/full.
3. “What We Do.” MI Peoples Campaign. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.mipeoples.org/what-we-do.
4. Neavling, Steve. “Kenneth Whittaker to Take over Michigan United, Pledges to Fight White Supremacy.” Detroit Metro Times, August 18, 2024. https://www.metrotimes.com/news/kenneth-whittaker-to-take-over-michigan-united-pledges-to-end-white-supremacy-26538071.
5. “ADR 1120.” Federal Election Commission, November 22, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/data/legal/alternative-dispute-resolution/1120/.
6. “Weekly Digest: Week of November 27 – December 1, 2023.” Federal Election Commission, December 1, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/updates/week-of-november-27-december-1-2023/.
7. “Conusltant: Breakaway Strategic Consulting.” Breakaway. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.breakawaystrategy.us/.
8. Zhou, Ashley. “Dr. Rubén Martinez Recognized for Leadership Roles at Retirement Reception.” Michigan State University, October 20, 2022. https://inclusion.msu.edu/news/ruben-martinez-retires.html.
9. “Health Care & the Caring Economy.” Mi Peoples Campaign. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.mipeoples.org/health-care.
10. Moore, David. “Protesters Target Michigan Businesses over Voter Suppression.” Sludge, August 6, 2023. https://readsludge.com/2022/06/02/protesters-target-michigan-businesses-over-voter-suppression/.
11. Hunter, George. “Mackinac Island Police Evict Group That Hung Political Banner on Lighthouse.” The Detroit News, June 1, 2022. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/06/01/mackinac-island-lighthouse-round-island-passage-light-political-banner/7467486001/.
12. “Michigan People’s Campaign Announces Endorsements for 2020 Primary Election.” Mi Peoples Campaign, July 30, 2020. https://www.mipeoples.org/post/michigan-people-s-campaign-announces-endorsements-for-2020-primary-election.
13. Mauger, Craig. “Biden Nets Endorsement of Progressive Michigan People’s Campaign.” The Detroit News, July 31, 2020. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/31/joe-biden-nets-endorsement-michigan-peoples-campaign/5554646002/
14. Parvez, Bisma. “Detroit Organizers Found New Ways to Increase Voter Turnout on Election Day.” BridgeDetroit, February 11, 2022. https://www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-organizers-found-new-ways-to-increase-voter-turnout-on-election-day/.
15. Teitel, Levi. “Rural Michigan Advocates Urge Passage of Build Back Better Act.” Progress Michigan, November 18, 2021. https://progressmichigan.org/2021/11/rural-michigan-advocates-urge-passage-of-build-back-better-act/.
16. Davidson, Kyle. “Lawmakers Band Together with Newly Formed Coalition to Ban Political Contributions from Utilities.” Michigan Advance, February 23, 2024. https://michiganadvance.com/2024/02/23/lawmakers-band-together-with-newly-formed-coalition-to-ban-political-contributions-from-utilities/.
17. “Awarded Grants – Michigan People’s Campaign.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=michigan%2Bpeople%27s%2Bcampaign&grant_id=OR2023-91221.
18. “Contribute to Way to Lead.” Way to Lead, December 2, 2020. https://waytolead.us/test/.
19. “Grassroots Partners.” NOPE. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.nopeneighbors.org/grassrootspartners-1.