Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat) has made it clear that Michigan will be a pivotal state in November’s presidential election, as it could be a turning point in favor of Vice President Harris.
Whitmer told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday that she is “concerned” about the possibility of a Democrat winning Michigan in November’s election, but that she fully supports Harris and believes she can win the state.
“Michigan is always going to be a battleground state. Same with Pennsylvania. Same with Wisconsin. We can’t take these states for granted,” she said. “The path to the White House goes through these three states, so I think it’s really important that we have a big presence.”
“What we’re seeing on the ground in Michigan, I saw our campaign offices early last week, people are calling wanting to volunteer. People are starting to donate,” she continued. “So we’re really seeing that excitement and that energy.”
Whitmer said events she has attended for Harris have drawn large crowds of her supporters, and at a recent event with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), she said more than 1,500 people showed up at a rally she expected to draw only a few hundred.
“It’s an honor to see so much excitement around the Harris campaign, even though we’re not part of the campaign,” she said. “I’m excited, but I’m also calm. It’s going to be close all the way to the end in most states. No one can take any vote for granted.”
Recent polls have Harris trailing former President Trump nationally and in key battleground states, and while the vice president has outperformed Biden since joining the race, the race still appears close.
A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll released Tuesday showed Harris holding an 11-point lead in Michigan, by far her largest lead in the race. The same poll also showed her holding a slim 2-point lead in Wisconsin and trailing by 4 points in Pennsylvania.
