Michigan elections FAQ: Kamala Harris ‘course correction,’ tightening polls
- In new Michigan elections FAQ show, Malachi Barrett discusses Donald Trump, Kamala Harris attempts to woo Detroit voters
- Lauren Gibbons breaks down lingering questions in the U.S. Senate race between Elissa Slotkin, Mike Rogers
- Simon Schuster explains what we can learn from polls, and whether they can be trusted
Donald Trump unveiled a new auto industry plan last week in Detroit but disparaged the city in the process, a development that Kamala Harris and Democrats are attempting to capitalize on in the final weeks of the campaign.
Harris is due in Detroit twice this week, is running a TV ad highlighting Trump’s comments about the city and just debuted a new plan for Black men.
Some local Democrats see it as a “course correction” for Harris in a city Trump has heavily targeted in his latest presidential campaign, BridgeDetroit reporter Malachi Barrett said Monday during the latest Michigan elections FAQ show.
Community leaders had been “making comparisons to the Democratic nightmare of 2016” when presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign appeared to take Black voters “for granted,” Barrett said.
Trump isn’t going to win Detroit, a Democratic stronghold, “but the overall calculus is… pretty simple: Republicans feel that every voter they can turn — even if they only get a small percentage of votes in the city — is going to have a… magnifying effect for the statewide results,” Barrett explained.
Watch the full video in the player below:
Other highlights from the Monday show:
- Unpacking polls: Reporter Simon Schuster explained “the notoriously fickle and kind of arcane science” of polling methodology. While polls appear to be tightening in Michigan, he recommended looking at polling aggregation sites like FiveThirtyEight and RealClear Politics to “avoid outlier polls” that may have used questionable methods. Those averages show the presidential race, and increasingly Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, are tightening and may go down to the wire.
- Senate kerfuffle: Reporter Lauren Gibbons broke down ongoing disputes in the U.S. Senate race between Elissa Slotkin and Mike Rogers, including whether Slotkin signed a non-disclosure agreement related to a Chinese-linked EV battery plant (she didn’t) and whether Rogers is living where he’s registered to vote (he’s building a house but hasn’t moved in yet).
- Duggan run? Barrett discussed a new nonprofit linked to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan that is promoting his work in the city to a broader audience. It’s the latest sign “pointing to a potential run for governor,” Barrett said.
There’s much more to watch in the full video above, which you can also find on the Bridge Michigan YouTube channel.
This free, online event was part of our Michigan elections FAQ series that aims to engage and inform readers about critical contests that will help shape the direction of our state and country.
Join us next week for another show on Monday, Oct. 21, at 11:30 a.m. Sign up now, and ask your question about Michigan elections here.
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