By Charlie Hoats, MI REALTORS RPAC Trustee
The Commercial Alliance of Realtors is a participant in the Realtors Political Action Committee, a PAC administered by the Michigan Realtors designed to advance state and federal legislation beneficial to the real estate industry.
Each year, RPAC sets a fundraising goal which is divided by the number of members of the Michigan Realtors to arrive at a “fair share” fundraising goal for each member. The 2020 ROAC fundraising goal was $1,160,000.00, making the fair share amount for each MI Realtors member $35.57. Consequently, the fundraising goal for CAR, with its 332 primary members, was set at $11,811.00.
I am happy to report that for the 7th year in a row we have exceeded our RPAC fundraising goal by at least 30%. RPAC’s 2020 numbers through October 31 show we raised $16,739, or 141.7% of our goal of $11,811. Additionally, each association across the state has a membership participation goal of 37%; CAR exceeded that goal by having 46.4% of its members participate in RPAC fundraising efforts this year.
Where does the money go? In an election year like this one, the RPAC Trustees oversee a process through which candidates for state and federal office can receive campaign donations from RPAC, specifically from a fund called RPAC I which is designed to support candidates and their campaigns. Local associations handle candidate interviews for state representatives serving their areas; MI Realtors then receives recommendations for endorsement from the local associations and suggests a donation amount based on the office, historical experience with the candidate, and the perceived importance of the race or seat in question. Those contributions are then approved by the RPAC Trustees. The Trustee board also conducts some direct interviews with candidates for state Supreme Court, Governor, US House of Representatives, and US Senate. For the judges and Governor candidates, contribution amounts are recommended by MI Realtors and approved by the RPAC Trustees; for the federal offices, contribution recommendations come from NAR. This year, MI Realtors and the RPAC Trustees saw 96% of the endorsed candidates win their races.
On behalf of the RPAC Trustees board, I would like to thank all of you who contributed to our RPAC fundraising efforts this year. For those of you who are still thinking about it, there’s never a bad time to get involved. I and the other members of the Political Affairs & Government Committee are always happy to answer any questions you might have.
