By Chad Selweski

The cutthroat campaign for the once-obscure office of Macomb County public works commissioner, a battle between incumbent Tony Marrocco and Congresswoman Candice Miller, has emerged as the most expensive race for a county office in Michigan history.

Marrocco, a Ray Township Democrat, has nearly drowned Miller’s efforts by dishing out nearly $1.9 million for various forms of campaign advertising. But that’s only part of the story. The 24-year incumbent has reached deep into his wallet and invested $1.1 million of his money in his campaign.

Miller, who is retiring from Congress, spent $669,000, according to the campaign finance report she submitted on Friday. But the Harrison Township Republican is not done yet. Her report shows that she still had $235,000 on hand for the final stretch. She has put $200,000 of her personal funds into the election effort.

According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, it’s believed that no other county race in Michigan has approached these eye-popping levels of spending, though definitive data is lacking. Many county elections across the state do not collectively reach the $100,000 threshold for two candidates. In fact, by Election Day, only about a half dozen congressional candidates in Michigan will reach the $2 million mark for their individual campaigns.

“It’s hard to wrap your mind around this. It’s perplexing,” said Craig Mauger, executive director of the nonpartisan watchdog group. “It’s troubling because a lot of the money is coming from contractors for the county. And it shows the growing role of money in politics that is happening at all levels.”

Marrocco’s advertising onslaught is financed by his re-election campaign committee plus two prominent political action committees (PACs) at the statewide level that he has maintained for many years. The three committees combined had $43,000 remaining to spend as of the close of books for the period from Aug. 23 to Oct. 23.

The rivals have waged a ferocious contest over the past two months, slinging accusations at each other on broadcast and cable TV, Facebook and through mailings. Marrocco has already sent more than a dozen campaign flyers.

The three campaign finance reports the public works commissioner filed with the Secretary of State in Lansing and with the county clerk’s office in Mount Clemens, show that most of his campaign cash comes from developers and other companies in the construction industry.

Marrocco reported 83 contributions of $1,000 or more from construction industry executives in his latest report.

In the campaign’s final days, that tally may play into the hands of Miller’s assertion that the incumbent engages in “pay to play” politics in which businesses seeking county contracts and those dependent on Marrocco’s office for construction-related permits are expected to contribute generously to his re-election campaigns.