The election is days away, and Michigan is still getting quite a bit of attention from both major party presidential candidates.
Republican Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence was in the Kalamazoo area with Texas Senator Ted Cruz to stump for presidential nominee Donald Trump. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has been leading in the state polls, but her lead has shrunk recently.
During his speech, Pence encouraged Michiganders to vote.
“You know here in Michigan, this race is on,” he said. “We are wheel to wheel here in Michigan and all across America. We’re coming out of the fourth term and we’re going to sprint, hammer down, to the checkered.”
While Pence spent a large portion of his speech Pence focused his speech criticizing Clinton, he also spent some time on issues that matter to Michiganders, including the economy. Pence promised that a Trump-Pence administration means more jobs and better trade deals.
“And when Donald Trump becomes president of the United States we’re going to put time honored principals into practice and we’re going to get Michigan growing again,” he said.
Kalamazoo State Representative Jon Hoadley spoke with reporters ahead of Pence’s visit. He says Donald Trump’s “hateful rhetoric” toward people of other ethnicities and Pence's anti-LGBTQ track record make them unfit for the White House.
“What’s on the ballot this election is two very different visions for America,” he said. “We’ve got one that’s dark and divisive and could tear our country apart. And one that’s hopeful and inclusive.”
The last week of the election has sent candidates and surrogates across Michigan. Trump’s children made stops in East Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Troy. And Senator Bernie Sanders stumped for Clinton stopped in Kalamazoo and Traverse City.
They aren’t done yet. So far Clinton has a scheduled rally in Detroit on Friday and Pence is scheduled to be in Lansing the same day.
