Benson's campaign has compared her $3.5 million haul to the $1.5 million Whitmer raised during the same period in her 2018 run — Michigan's last open race for governor.

Benson's $3.5 million haul included a more-than-$1.1 million transfer from her old secretary of state campaign account, meaning she had about $2.4 million in direct contributions in the first six ...