Michigan Democrats gathered Tuesday in Ann Arbor to kickstart what the party hopes is a coordinated campaign for the November general election.
Democratic leaders said the campaign has already built 20 offices across the state to help anchor events over the next several months.
The Ann Arbor event featured several of the state’s leading Democratic figures, including U.S. Congresswomen Debbie Dingell.
She expressed urgency about uniting the party before November, after some bruising interparty fights before last week's primary elections.
“Why are you here? Because you're worried about our democracy, and we're going to fight for our neighbors, our communities and our country. And that's why we're going to win in November,” said Dingell.
Democratic candidate for state attorney general Eli Savit also attended the event and echoed the need for a cohesive party vision, even if there are differences on specific policies.
"At the end of the day, what does unite us ... is our fundamental values as Democrats. And I've been seeking to distill it down, but the one value that I think is most important, that I know everybody in here shares, is that we care about each other," Savit said.
"That means that we want every child in our state and our country to grow up and drink clean water and breathe fresh air, and be able to go to schools that are not just adequate, but are excellent,” Savit continued.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said the party's candidates need volunteers to work on their campaigns and canvass for support.
“What I can promise you is that you're going to have a team at the party that will be out there with you. And so when you're in that last block of your turf and that last house, which is, you know, farther away than you'd like, just remember that every single thing that we care about is on the line,” said Hertel.
Republicans have criticized candidates nominated by Michigan Democrats as "radical" and said their policies amount to "Marxism" and "socialism," although none of the top Democratic candidates in Michigan has advocated for communism or — in contrast to some other states — described themselves as a democratic socialist.
