Sanders Draws 700 in Alpena

Sen. Bernie Sanders addressed roughly 700 people in Alpena on Monday, a turnout that forced organizers to remove a room divider and add chairs. The rally supported Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Alpena is a county where Republican President Donald Trump won by nearly 29 percentage points in the last presidential cycle.

The visit marks a strategic shift for Democrats in northern Michigan. El-Sayed’s campaign aims to narrow the margin in traditionally Republican areas rather than flip them entirely. Experts note that statewide races are often decided by fewer than 100,000 votes. Narrowing the gap in these red districts could impact the final tally.

Sanders spent the hour criticizing the current administration, healthcare costs, and income inequality. He positioned El-Sayed as a candidate who connects with rural voters often ignored by major campaigns. “What we have found is that many rural communities often don’t get the attention that they deserve,” Sanders said.

Republican efforts mirror this approach in reverse. GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers has focused on courting Jewish voters and Detroiters who previously supported El-Sayed’s primary rival, Haley Stevens. Rogers and gubernatorial nominee John James have also campaigned in the Upper Peninsula and rural northern Michigan. The Republican strategy seeks to hold onto the non-college-educated white voters essential to Trump’s winning coalitions.

Pollster Richard Czuba stated that if El-Sayed begins winning over non-college voters, it poses a serious threat to the Republican coalition. “If El-Sayed starts picking off non-college voters, this is a really bad sign for Republicans,” Czuba said. Democrats are leveraging national issues like high prices and the war in Iran to appeal to disillusioned voters.

El-Sayed has adopted a “Michigan first” slogan and runs advertisements on Fox News, a tactic resembling Trump’s “America First” branding. This approach targets voters who feel disconnected from government. The campaign aims to create political realignment by speaking directly to these groups.

Members of Congress have committed more than $1.3 million to El-Sayed’s campaign in the final days. This funding is intended to counter outside attack ads that have heavily outspent the nominee. Sanders said the group must ensure El-Sayed has a fighting chance against billionaires and their super PACs. “Abdul is taking on everybody,” Sanders said.