The presidential candidates held six campaign events in Michigan on Oct. 18, focusing on battleground counties that are likely to sway the state’s presidential race. The candidates appeared in Oakland County, home to over a million of the state’s 8.4 million registered voters. With 18 days left before the election, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized their core messages, particularly targeting auto workers and Arab Muslims. Arab Muslims make up just under 3 percent of Michigan’s population. The state’s importance in the presidential race, with its 15 electoral votes, was highlighted by the candidates’ intense focus on Michigan, where the race is close. Trump and Harris made contrasting appeals to voters, with Trump visiting Hamtramck, the only Muslim-majority city in the U.S., and Harris emphasizing a vision for the future during her events in various locations throughout the day. The wall’s political significance was apparent in the 2016 election when Trump secured victory in all three states, but its resilience was tested in 2020 as Biden reclaimed them. Trump currently holds a slight lead over Harris in these crucial states, which are deemed as tossups by the Cook Political Report.
In 2016, Trump carried Kent County, while Biden successfully won it in 2020. Democrats emerged victorious in both Oakland and Wayne Counties in both elections.
Trump has actively campaigned in Michigan with 15 events since April, while Harris has visited the state seven times since becoming the Democratic nominee in July.
Early voting options will be available in all counties starting on Oct. 26, with Detroit commencing on Oct. 19 and Canton Township and East Lansing on Oct. 21.
This report includes contributions from Jacob Burg and the Associated Press.
Source link
