State leaders and educators discuss the importance of Michigan this election

• Michigan is a key state during this presidential election to win.
• In 2016, the state swung red for the first time in over 20 years and went back to blue for the 2020 election.
• Video shows state leaders and educators speaking on the impacts that Michigan has on the election, what voters may be looking at and what it means to be a swing state.

"We would be up there as the most likely state it would come down to," Grossmann said.
The 2024 presidential election is 76 days away, and political scientist and MSU professor Matt Grossmann says Michigan is center of the action.

"We're the second largest state in terms of ad spending, we're very high when it comes to candidate visits and we're the first to second most likely state to be the tipping point state," Grossmann said.

And recent history suggests a close battle ahead.

In 2016, Donald Trump won the mitten state turning it red for the first time in over 20 years.

Then four years later, jumped back with Joe Biden winning the state.

Both races were extremely tight.

Partly why both candidates this go around are bringing their campaigns to Michigan.

"People will know that he spent enough time and that he thought it was important to come to their community to talk with their officials about how to keep them safe and how to keep other people safe," Michigan Republican Committee Chair, Pete Hoekstra said.

Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel supports Kamala Harris, who has also appeared in Michigan this month...

"She wants protections in the state's like ours that will always be protected and we won't have to worry about losing our reproductive rights and that's an important thing for so many people," Nessel said.

As the race stands now, the state is still a tossup.

"But in a presidential election, we have a much bigger voter base and it has maintained very close to fifty-fifty for the last 8 years," Grossmann said.

So Michigan we have a long 70-plus days ahead of us because the race is not over until it's over.

Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website .

For more news about the State Capitol, go to the State Capitol neighborhood page on our website .

Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.

Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.

Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook