DETROIT (FOX 2) - Michigan's 15 electoral votes are up for grabs in a tight race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
This year, no specific issue is on the ballot. Instead, those issues are part of the larger races for president and Congress. Electric vehicles, inflation, and Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza and now Hezbollah in Lebanon are top of mind for Michigan voters.
How Trump and Harris pitch their visions around these issues could define if Michigan continues its support for Democrats - or swings back to Republicans.
In what has been one of the busiest political seasons in recent memory, uncertainty over the next election outcome looms large. The past two presidential elections in Michigan have been tight and polling this year indicates the victor may win by the slimmest margins.
The vote each party is spending the most money on is the one for president. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on TV and digital advertising, while mailboxes are filling up with brochures, and campaign signs are littering yards.
A lot is on the line in the presidential race, in part due to the drastically different directions both Harris and Trump are promising, should they win the presidency. Glancing at the rallies each candidate has held in Michigan, as well as the remarks they deliver to their supporters reveal starkly divergent visions.
During her town hall in Farmington Hills, hosted by Oprah Winfrey, Harris told the audience "There is so much at stake in this election, and ultimately the question before us is what kind of country do we want to live in?"
The issues
Harris has framed her economic proposals around ending price gouging to lower grocery prices, cutting taxes for the middle class and parents to lower childcare costs while promoting the creation of more housing to reduce the cost of renting and buying a home.
Meanwhile, Trump has proposed an unprecedented series of tariffs on imported goods as a means of boosting manufacturing jobs. To make housing more available, he says deporting illegal immigrants will expand access and make prices cheaper.
Electric vehicles represent one of the most important issues in Michigan, marrying themes of energy, manufacturing, and climate change which are all relevant to the state. The Harris-Biden administration has pushed massive investment into the sector to help float companies like General Motors and Ford transition to battery-powered vehicles.
Not everyone in the state has joined the White House's support, with only 41% of the state approving of the effort as a means to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, according to the most recent survey of Michigan.
There is also some trepidation from autoworkers about what a transition could mean for their future jobs, Bridge Magazine reports.
Trump has jumped on these anxieties, telling supporters at a town hall in Flint the auto industry in Michigan would be gone under a Harris presidency. However, even the Republican candidate has voiced support for electric vehicles, at times praising them and softening his criticism of the industry. Trump has said his recent support from Tesla-owner Elon Musk is part of why he has changed his mind.
Reproductive health has also dominated headlines in Michigan and the presidential race, ever since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down protections for abortion. While Michigan legalized access via ballot measure in 2022, the issue continues to resonate with voters around the country.
Harris has been unambiguous in her position on the issue, promising to sign a national law guaranteeing access. Meanwhile, Trump has presented multiple positions on abortion, at one point proposing free in vitro fertilization and hesitation around Florida's 6-week abortion ban, then flipping and supporting keeping the rule.