Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed brought his campaign to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, making three stops Thursday in a region that has not elected a Democrat to Congress in more than a decade and remains politically tilted toward Republicans.
The tour began at the U. Delta County, where Escanaba is located, backed Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by 64% to 34% in 2024. Ocasio-Cortez said the event was intended to reach independents, Democrats and Republicans willing to consider the campaign’s message.
El-Sayed emphasized Medicare for All, reducing the influence of wealthy donors and corporations, ending foreign wars, investing in education, lowering living costs and protecting Michigan’s natural resources. He also argued that people should not have to take on debt to attend college.
The campaign then held a town hall in Iron Mountain before ending in Marquette, where more than 1,200 people attended a rally at Northern Michigan University. Marquette County is the only county in the Upper Peninsula that has continued to reliably vote Democratic. Ocasio-Cortez attacked Republican nominee Mike Rogers over ties to the pharmaceutical industry, while Rogers has sought to connect El-Sayed to organizations he characterizes as extremist without providing supporting evidence. El-Sayed responded that voters in the region were focused on the cost of gas and groceries.
The race is also drawing unusually heavy spending.