Sanders rallies 700 in Alpena to support El-Sayed in red county

Senator Bernie Sanders addressed a crowd of roughly 700 people in Alpena on Monday as he campaigns for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The event took place in a county that President Donald Trump won by nearly 29 percentage points in the 2024 election. Organizers reported the turnout exceeded expectations, forcing them to add chairs and remove a room divider to accommodate attendees.

The visit is part of a strategy to reduce the Republican advantage in northern Michigan. Democrats acknowledge that flipping these red districts is unlikely but argue that narrowing the margins can influence statewide races that are often decided by fewer than 100,000 votes. Local resident Marion Hautea, who has lived in Alpena since 1997, said he had never seen a political rally in the area before Sanders arrived. He described the event as a way for people with different political views to engage in discussion.

Sanders spent about an hour speaking to the group. He praised El-Sayed and criticized President Trump, income inequality, and the healthcare system. He stated that rural communities often receive less attention from campaigns than urban areas. Sanders noted that high living costs have made residents more aware of the wealth gap between ordinary families and the ultrawealthy.

The Democratic effort to target red voters mirrors the Republican strategy. Senate candidate Mike Rogers has worked to court Jewish voters and Detroiters who supported El-Sayed’s primary opponent, Haley Stevens. Michigan pollster Richard Czuba said that non-college-educated white voters are essential to the Republican coalition. Czuba warned that if El-Sayed begins to attract these voters, it will be a negative sign for Republicans.

El-Sayed has adopted a “Michigan first” slogan and runs advertisements on Fox News. This approach aims to appeal to voters who feel disillusioned with the current government. Democrats believe that Trump’s falling approval ratings, high prices, and the war in Iran create opportunities to peel away Republican support in the region.

Greg Manz, a senior communications adviser for the Michigan Republican Party, responded to Sanders’ visit by calling the progressive policies supported by Sanders and El-Sayed direct threats to the livelihoods of Michiganders. The Democratic push comes as members of Congress have committed more than $1.3 million to El-Sayed’s campaign in the final days of the election cycle. Sanders said the funding is necessary to counter outside groups that have heavily outspent the El-Sayed campaign.

Christie Rasche, a local resident, said the large crowd was encouraging for a traditionally conservative area. Diane O’Connor, an activist with the Alpena County Democratic Party, said the visit fits Sanders’ pattern of reaching out to all types of communities. The senator’s trip to northern Michigan included planned stops in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor, which are more liberal areas.