Vice President Kamala Harris joined rapper Lizzo in Detroit as early voting began on Saturday in Michigan, a swing state with 15 electoral votes. Harris heads to Georgia later in the day, where she will be joined by R&B star Usher for a similar event.
Lizzo called on voters in the predominantly black city to make their voices heard and defended the Motor City from what some see as disparaging remarks by former President Donald Trump.
The Detroit-born pop star said, “They say if Kamala wins, this whole country will be like Detroit. Well, I say, ‘Proud like Detroit.’ I say, ‘Resilient like Detroit.’ This is the same Detroit that innovated the auto industry and the music industry. So put some respect on Detroit’s name.”
Detroit has seen a dramatic turnaround in recent years, with investment pouring in and abandoned housing being restored under the leadership of Mayor Mike Duggan.
Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck-and-neck in Michigan. The Five-Thirty-Eight average of polls in Michigan has Harris up by less than a percentage point.
For Harris, winning Michigan will not only require gaining the support of independents and swing voters like Arab and Muslim Americans, who Trump is now actively reaching out to, but also ensuring that black American women — arguably the most loyal voter base of the Democratic Party — turn out in high numbers. The party, however, is losing the support of black men to Trump at a rate some Democrats find alarming.
This evening, Harris will also join R&B star Usher in Georgia, where early voting began earlier this week.
Watch Vice President Harris address an early voter event in Detroit, MI, with pop star Lizzo:
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