Michigan Republicans are mobilizing volunteers to knock a record number of doors during the midterms, U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers says, calling mid-Michigan the frontlines of the GOP’s efforts.
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers said in Lansing Township on Saturday that volunteers have already knocked more than 7 million doors on behalf of his campaign, which he said is a record.
Rogers said his campaign set a goal of knocking another 500,000 doors in the final days of the election.
“We thought we better build a massive, mother of all ground games to get this thing done,” Rogers said.
U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, joined Rogers at the event. Barrett said his and Rogers’ races are two of the closest and most consequential in the country.
“This is the battleground for America right here,” Barrett said.
The canvass kickoff included more than 200 college-age volunteers from 19 states, organizers said.
Republican nominee for attorney general Doug Lloyd said the outreach from young adults is important.
“I get told all the time that ‘hey, the Republicans are just tired, they’re old, they don’t want to do anything,’” Lloyd said. “You guys are proving that wrong today.”
Republican nominee for governor John James said that while the federal races are capturing much of the attention, the midterms should be a referendum on state – not federal – leaders.
James told volunteers that voters want to blame President Donald Trump for high gas prices and other issues. But he said other states outperform Michigan while having the same president.
“Democrats need a boogeyman because they don’t have any solutions,” James said. “I mean, ‘orange man bad’ is not enough to make the next four years better.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has led the state for eight years. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson has also been in office as secretary of state.
Whitmer has said some Republican state lawmakers are running ads featuring photos standing alongside her because the Democratic agenda is popular.
Benson and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed are also on statewide bus tours, both with a focus on affordability.
