Obama to join Abdul El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson for Detroit rally ahead of Election Day
TheGrio...
Obama will campaign alongside Michigan’s Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate and governor as voters begin casting ballots early.
Barack Obama is scheduled to appear with Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, and Jocelyn Benson, the party’s gubernatorial nominee, on the first day of Michigan’s required in-person early-voting period. The Michigan Democratic Party says the rally will encourage voters to cast ballots early for Democrats across the state.
The October 24 event marks Obama’s return to Michigan’s campaign trail. He last appeared in Detroit during the 2024 presidential election, when he campaigned for then-Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. He has also campaigned in Michigan during previous election cycles, including in support of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The rally is expected to run from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., although the location has not yet been publicly announced.
As reported by MLive, El-Sayed won the Democratic Senate nomination after defeating U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the August primary. He now faces Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
Benson, Michigan’s current secretary of state, is the Democratic nominee for governor and is facing Republican U.S. Rep. John James. The governor’s race will determine who succeeds term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The Detroit rally comes after a competitive Democratic primary in which El-Sayed and Stevens represented different approaches within the party. The Associated Press reported that Stevens performed better than El-Sayed in Wayne County, which includes Detroit.
Obama’s appearance carries particular significance in Detroit, a majority-Black city. Obama, the nation’s first Black president, has maintained a recurring campaign presence in Michigan since leaving office. For El-Sayed and Benson, the Detroit appearance places their campaigns alongside one of the Democratic Party’s most recognizable national figures at a moment when voters are beginning Michigan’s in-person early-voting period.