Kamala Harris rallies in Flint amid ‘blue wall’ state tour

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, held a rally at Dort Financial Center in Flint Friday evening. In her third visit to Michigan since launching her presidential campaign, she focused on labor unions, manufacturing and the state’s auto industry in front of more than 6,000 attendees.

The rally also featured Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, NBA star Magic Johnson, Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, and Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley. Labor union leaders, including April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, and Eric Price, president of UAW Local 651, also gave remarks.

The stop was part of the campaign’s tours to battleground “blue wall” states in the Midwest, including Michigan. Backstage at the rally, Harris met with prominent Arab and Muslim leaders to discuss their hopes for her support in ending the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, visited Saginaw Thursday, while his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, held a rally in Marne following the vice presidential debate.

Harris opened her remarks by addressing the country’s housing shortage, saying she plans to tackle it by partnering with the private sector to build new homes and offering down payment assistance programs.

“We need to build more housing in America,” Harris said. “Right now, there is a serious housing shortage in our country, and it is part of what is driving up costs. So, we will cut the red tape and work with the private sector to build 3 million new homes and provide first-time home buyers with $25,000 down payment assistance so you can literally get your foot in the door.” 

Harris highlighted her plan to lower costs, focusing on health care and combating corporate price gouging while drawing on her experience as California attorney general. She emphasized the need for accountability, especially for those who exploit vulnerable populations. 

“I have a plan on lowering costs from health care to groceries, including taking on corporate price gouging,” Harris said. “As attorney general, I saw those who took advantage of desperate people, in particular, in the middle of an emergency, and there needs to be consequences.”

Harris said she believes it is important to create accessible, well-paying jobs and provided details on her plans to do so.

“We will retool existing factories, hire locally and work with unions to create good-paying jobs, including jobs that do not require a college degree,” Harris said. “We understand that a college degree is not the only measure of whether a worker has skills and experience to get the job done.”  

Due to the rally’s location, some attendees were focused on Flint’s environmental issues and the auto industry’s prominence in the area. The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the city switched its water supply to the Flint River without proper treatment. This resulted in lead contamination and widespread health issues among the city’s predominantly minority and low-income communities. Since then, Flint has struggled with environmental and employment issues.

Simmone Price, a University of Michigan-Flint alum and Flint resident, said in an interview with The Michigan Daily that she is still concerned about the city’s ongoing water issues, including increased lead levels since 2021.

“I still think that there are issues with the water that we can address,” Price said. “I know (Harris) is well aware of that, so if she can address that, that would be helpful.” 

Whitmer focused on the economy and employment in her remarks. She criticized Trump and Vance for neglecting auto workers and their lack of commitment to investments in Michigan auto plants. She added that the Biden-Harris administration has taken action to invest in union jobs.

“So, it’s pretty simple,” Whitmer said. “When you have a chance to save hundreds of good-paying Michigan auto jobs and create more, you take it. Instead, the Trump-Vance ticket is giving the middle finger to workers here in Michigan. It was the Biden-Harris administration that took action to save union jobs.”

Reproductive rights and abortion were key issues for other attendees, especially among women and young people. LSA junior Marin Hetler told The Daily she came to the rally in support of Harris’ reproductive rights policies, specifically abortion. 

“A big issue for me is women’s reproductive rights, and (Harris) seems to understand that women should have the right to choose what to do with their own body,” Hetler said. “As a young female college student, that is something that is super important to me.”

As of Oct. 6, The New York Times reports Harris is leading Trump at 49% to his 47% in Michigan and national election polls.

Johnson is helping lead the new “Athletes for Harris” campaign alongside other professional sports coaches and players. During his remarks at the rally, he drew on his upbringing in Lansing and his father’s career as a General Motors assembly line worker. Johnson also emphasized his commitment to voter engagement for Black men across the U.S. and the importance of their vote in November.

“Our Black men, we’ve got to get them out to vote,” Johnson said. “Kamala’s opponent promised a lot of things last time to the Black community that he did not deliver on. And we’ve got to make sure we help Black men understand that, so that’s why I’m here to help Black men understand, first learn how to vote, then vote for the next president of the United States.”

Ava LaMotte, junior at Michigan State University, told The Daily that Harris assuming the Democratic nomination gave her hope in the party’s chances and direction in the upcoming election.

“I was probably going to vote Democrat anyway, for whoever was the party’s nominee,” LaMotte said. “When Joe Biden was the ticket nominee, I wasn’t as hopeful, but now that Kamala is on it, I have a lot more hope that we’re going to win and we’re going to go in a positive, forward direction.”

Daily Staff Reporters Andrew Baum and Shane Baum can be reached at asbaum@umich.edu and smbaum@umich.edu.

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