LANSING -- Michigan politicians and analysts are reacting following President Biden’s announcement that he would end his reelection campaign, saying the decision could breathe fresh life into a rematch that many voters were dreading.
“Just a month ago, we were thinking this was going to be a boring repeat of 2020,” said Matt Grossmann, a political science professor at MSU. “And that people had kind of tuned out. But now they’re paying a lot of attention.”
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Much of the party has already coalesced behind Vice President Harris, including Biden and a majority of Democratic congresspeople and governors.
“She has been an amazing leader and champion for people across communities across Michigan,” said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist. “And I think her candidacy will lead us to win our state and for her to be the next president.”
Governor Whitmer declared her support for Harris Monday morning, and shied away from a possible vice presidential nomination, saying she’s not leaving Michigan and will continue to serve as governor.
Political analysts predict that Harris may have a more realistic path to victory than Biden, but caution that the fundamentals of the race have yet to change significantly.
“Most people are going to vote for both of the candidates,” Grossmann said. “And there might be a few people vote for Harris and not Biden, and a few people vote for Biden, not Harris — and who are those people? We’re looking at kind of those subtle differences, and there are differences.”
Still, they say that Harris may be able to better connect with young voters and voters of color in ways that Biden has struggled with. Grossmann said that Harris’s broadened base may bring more states into competition, including Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
“Whereas Michigan had been kind of at the top of the heap of swing states in a Biden vs. Trump matchup, it may move to a more even keel with the southern states now that Biden has been replaced,” he said.
Republicans have maintained a similar strategy against Harris so far, tying her to Biden’s policies and saying that Michigan voters would prefer Trump after three years under Biden.
“It’s been years since I’ve seen the republican party so united around one candidate and that candidate is Donald Trump,” said Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan.
Gilchrist said that Harris presents a contrast to Trump, and that Michigan voters will again help return a Democrat to the White House.
“She actually cares about people and the values that people have here in the state of Michigan, rather than only being in this for himself and out for himself the way that Donald Trump has,” he said. “And she’ll be able to make that more clear in a more forceful way than anyone else will be able to. And that’s why she’s going to be the best person to take on and beat Donald Trump.”