Sen. Debbie Stabenow at the Flint drive-in rally for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden with former President Barack Obama, Oct. 31, 2020 | Andrew Roth
The Biden-Harris Michigan campaign is launching what it characterized to the Advance as a “pre-debate offensive” against likely GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump with several events across the state this week.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, both Democrats, are vying for reelection in November. Biden and Trump will participate in a 90-minute presidential debate on Thursday at CNN studios in Atlanta. Trump served as president for one term, 2017 to 2021, and lost to Biden in 2020.
This is the first debate between the two men this election. It’s taking place months earlier than debates in recent cycles, as absentee voting has become more common.
The Biden campaign is slated to host 25 debate watch parties across the state, including gatherings in Grand Rapids, Detroit and Oakland County.
The Advance reached out to the Michigan Republican Party for comment on its plans this week but did not receive a response.
On Monday, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) and other leaders are scheduled to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned with events in Flint and Clawson. Aisha Harris, a physician, is slated to participate at the event in Flint. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is slated to join the Clawson rally.
In wild meeting, Wayne Co. board certifies Biden as winner after GOP members initially blocked it
Wayne County Commissioner Alisha Bell (D-Detroit) and former Wayne County Board of Canvass member Jonathan Kinloch on Tuesday are scheduled to headline a press conference in Detroit that “will highlight the grave threat Donald Trump poses to democracy with an event in Detroit headlined by leaders who saw Trump’s threats of political violence in 2020 firsthand,” according to the Biden-Harris campaign
Kinloch, a Detroit Democrat, is also a Wayne County commissioner who was a Wayne County canvasser in 2020 when Republican members first voted against certifying Biden’s win over Trump in Michigan’s largest county and includes Detroit. A recording of a phone call during the day of the meeting obtained by the Detroit News showed Trump pressuring the two GOP Wayne County canvassers, Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, to reject the results.
The canvassers eventually did certify the results, which showed Biden secured about 68% of the vote and Trump received about 31%.
On Wednesday, small business owners in Lansing are slated to sit down for a roundtable discussion with Mayor Andy Schor to discuss Biden’s efforts to support small business growth. In Detroit that day, union leaders and members are scheduled to do an event with Mayor Mike Duggan about Biden’s pro-union record.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The post Biden campaign plans pre-debate events across Michigan this week appeared first on Michigan Advance.