Alpena Rally Draws 700

Roughly 700 people gathered in Alpena on Monday to hear U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders speak, a turnout that required organizers to add chairs and remove a room divider.

The former presidential candidate visited the city to support Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan Senate. The event took place in a county that President Donald Trump won by nearly 29 percentage points in the 2024 election. El-Sayed’s campaign is working to reduce the Republican advantage in northern Michigan, where margins are often decided by fewer than 100,000 votes statewide.

Sanders criticized income inequality, the healthcare system, and the Trump administration. He told reporters that rural communities often receive less attention from political campaigns. He argued that Michigan residents are increasingly aware of the financial gap between themselves and the wealthy. “What we have found is that many rural communities often don’t get the attention that they deserve,” Sanders said.

The Democratic effort is part of a broader strategy to appeal to non-college-educated white voters. Richard Czuba, a Michigan pollster, noted that this group is essential to the Republican coalition. He warned that if El-Sayed begins winning these voters, it signals trouble for the GOP. El-Sayed has adopted a “Michigan first” slogan and aired a new advertisement on Fox News. His team believes that national issues, such as high prices and the war in Iran, may help peel away support for the Republican side.

Republican nominee Mike Rogers is pursuing a similar strategy with Democratic strongholds. He has focused on courting Jewish voters and Detroiters who previously backed Haley Stevens. Greg Manz, a senior communications adviser for the Michigan Republican Party, argued that the progressive policies supported by Sanders and El-Sayed are direct threats to Michiganders’ livelihoods.

Local Democrats viewed the rally as a positive sign. Diane O’Connor, an activist with the Alpena County Democratic Party, said the crowd size impressed her. She noted that the area has been conservative for many years and that the turnout reflected interest in a different political perspective. Marion Hautea, a resident since 1997, said he had never attended a political rally before Monday. He described the event as a way for voters on both sides to engage in discussion.

Sanders’ trip also included stops in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. The visit followed a commitment by Sanders and other members of Congress to donate more than $1.3 million to El-Sayed’s campaign. Sanders said the funds were necessary to counter outside groups that have heavily outspent the nominee. He stated, “We’re never going to have as much money as the billionaires and their super PACs, but I think we’ve got to do our best to make sure that Abdul has a fighting chance to win this election.”