Chairman Upton survives outside money blitz

House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) staved off a loss against his Democratic challenger in a race that saw a flood of outside money in the closing weeks.

Michigan's 6th District ran largely under the radar this cycle; the 14-term incumbent regularly cruises to victory with 60 percent to 70 percent of the vote, going back to 1986. His tightest margin -- 54 percent -- came just two years ago. He out-raised Western Michigan University Professor Paul Clements by a little more than 4-to-1 this cycle. But MayDay Pac, an outside group that has received large donations from the technology industry, announced in October it would spend $2 million in the district. Clements's campaign released polling that showed him trailing by only 4 points. MayDay Pac, which aims to elect lawmakers focused on campaign finance reform, launched a series of attack ads against Chairman Upton, accusing him of being beholden to the drug, insurance and oil industries.

Chairman Upton has blasted the outside group, claiming he talked to some of its donors who said they were "taken for a ride." And Upton's office reportedly reached out to a lobbyist in the technology industry to question why the chairman was being targeted.