With Election Day only days away, the two candidates in Michigan's U.S. Senate race are crisscrossing the state to rally supporters and secure as many votes as possible.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed spoke to students and backers Monday night at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared alongside him. "I want you to leave here and say this is my democracy and I'm going to fight for it," El-Sayed told the crowd.
Republican Mike Rogers, meanwhile, held an event with supporters in Grand Rapids, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined him. "People are fired up like we have never seen them before. And I think they know what's at stake," Rogers said, adding that the audience looked ready "to defend freedom."
Rogers built his message around what he called "faith, family, freedom" and urged backers to vote. "This is our chance to stand up for our children, our grandchildren," he said. "This is our chance to say we will stand up for liberty."
In Ann Arbor, El-Sayed argued that the progressive ideas at the heart of his campaign can win across Michigan, not just in liberal strongholds. He noted that candidates who have backed Medicare for All, confronted corporations or supported unions were often told those positions might work in "a bright blue dot like Ann Arbor," or in New York, Vermont or California, but not in a state like Michigan. "Yes, you can," he said.
As the race tightens toward the finish, Wayne State University professor Marick Masters said turnout among young voters could prove important. "You're in a very close election and a few thousand votes could make the difference," he said.
Masters explained that campaigns hope young people will not only cast their own ballots but also persuade friends to do the same. "If this group is highly activated and motivated to get their friends out and to vote, you want them to come to the polls in the greatest numbers possible," he said.
University of Michigan students at the Ann Arbor rally echoed the point. Senior Ava Donnelly, asked what she would say to young people who have not yet voted, urged them to "definitely do your research." She added, "I think it's important to know what you're voting for, what you're supporting."
Junior Mike Lucas said events like the rally can help convert enthusiasm into actual votes. "A lot of times we don't see enough young voters come out and show their support for who they want to support," he said. "Rallies like these go a really long way into making those votes actually happen."
Both campaigns still have stops scheduled around Michigan as Rogers and El-Sayed make their closing arguments ahead of Election Day.
