SouthernWorldwide.com – Democratic Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow has accumulated nearly a year’s worth of unpaid utility charges on her $1.28 million home while simultaneously campaigning on an agenda of affordability.
A spokesperson for McMorrow stated that the outstanding bills have since been settled. The spokesperson also directed criticism towards Donald Trump and his allies, attributing rising costs for essential goods and services like gas, groceries, and electricity to their policies.
McMorrow, a state legislator competing for the Democratic nomination in a crucial Senate race, has reportedly faced multiple instances of falling behind on payments in recent years.
Property records indicate that since purchasing their $1.28 million home in a Detroit suburb in late 2021, McMorrow and her husband have been fined 10 times, accumulating over $400 in late fees due to nonpayment. The Detroit Metro Times described the property, featuring a pool and an outdoor courtyard, as a residence “to marvel at” in a report from that year.
Further records reveal that McMorrow and her husband, Wert, allowed overdue water bills to accumulate on their property during the latter half of 2024. They reportedly went five months without making a payment. When the couple finally settled a $917 bill in January 2025, an outstanding balance of $45 in late fees was still noted.
According to Royal Oak Township’s billing procedures, water bills are issued quarterly, and a 5% late fee is applied to any unpaid balances. A billing notice indicated that an additional 5% penalty would be added if the balance remained unpaid by June 1.
The township’s policy allows for unpaid water and sewer bills to eventually be added to property tax bills, and prolonged nonpayment can lead to the termination of water services.
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These delinquent payments come to light as recent financial disclosures suggest that McMorrow and her husband may possess significant wealth.
Last year, McMorrow estimated her net worth to be between $588,041 and $1.87 million, as reported by Michigan Advance. A financial disclosure filed last year indicated that up to $1.15 million was listed under her name or as a joint asset with her husband.
Her financial filing also revealed that she earned $101,554 from her position as a state senator. Additionally, she reported receiving just over $106,000 in royalties.
While McMorrow and her husband were experiencing delays in their own bill payments, she actively promoted “affordability” legislation aimed at preventing water shutoffs for customers unable to pay their city bills.
Last year, McMorrow co-sponsored a legislative proposal intended to cap water bills for eligible low-income residents and provide debt forgiveness for overdue balances. The funding for this program would be generated through a regular surcharge applied to most water customers in Michigan.
She has also expressed support for the Human Right to Water Act, a bill that would establish access to affordable drinking water as a fundamental right and mandate the state government to develop “affordability criteria.”
In a Facebook post from March 2021, she advocated for legislation designed to “end water shutoffs.”
“Let’s be clear, access to water is a human right, even when there’s not a pandemic,” she wrote at the time.
The timing of these late utility payments coincides with McMorrow’s participation in a competitive three-way Democratic primary. The winner will succeed Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich., who is not seeking re-election.
This swing seat is considered a critical win for Democrats aiming to regain control of the Senate. Conversely, Republicans also view this contest as a significant opportunity for a flip. Former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., secured the Republican nomination last year with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, while the Democratic candidates continue their primary battle leading up to the August election.
McMorrow’s campaign platform is progressive, including calls for the wealthy to contribute their “fair share” in taxes. Abdul El-Sayed, who has the backing of Senator Bernie Sanders, is running a campaign to her left. Representative Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a candidate supported by the centrist wing of the party, has presented more moderate policy stances.
Progressive Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., have publicly endorsed McMorrow’s candidacy.
Recently, McMorrow faced increased scrutiny for deleting thousands of old social media posts prior to launching her Senate campaign. These deleted posts reportedly contained critiques of “Middle America” and drew parallels between Trump, his supporters, and Nazi Germany. CNN was the first to report on the collection of these now-deleted posts.
In an interview with CNN, the Senate hopeful largely defended her past statements, asserting that she had “tweeted normal things like a normal person.”
