(1/1/20) - Michigan voters, get ready for a big year!
Since the 2016 election, we've become a swing state, which puts us right at the center of it all.
Between presidential primaries, hosting a presidential debate, and a general election, there's plenty to look forward to in politics this year.
"This is going to be the most intense and really the most exciting campaign we've seen in Michigan probably in fifty years," Paul Rozycki said. Rozycki is a retired professor of political science at Mott Community College.
We already saw President Trump rally in Battle Creek ahead of 2020, and don't expect events like that one to stop any time soon.
Rozycki says we're going to see both parties passing through Michigan on a very regular basis and for good reason.
"Michigan has been so far up until 2016, a reliably Democratic state, but Trump won it by a bit over 10,000 votes, so we're going to see both parties and many candidates coming through Michigan trying to win Michigan as one of the key states for 2020," Rozycki said.
That 10,000 plus votes gave Trump a .3% margin of victory in Michigan, the narrowest for any state in the country.
The voters will decide on President again on November 3, but ahead of that, Michigan's Democratic Presidential Primary is scheduled for March 10.
"It's going to be a testing ground for a lot of those candidates who are still active in the Democratic party, and in part because Michigan is such a crucial state, it may be one of the most important primary states ready to prove that you can win it for the Democratic candidate," Rozycki said.
Democratic Senator Gary Peters is up for reelection, and Rozycki says it could be a nail-biter if he faces Republican John James, so expect to see plenty of campaigning in the senate race
"For Democrats, the real key is to try to retain that seat and hope to gain control of the U.S. Senate in 2020. It's going to be a stretch, but they've got to hang onto that Peters seat, and it's going to be a very competitive campaign," Rozycki said.
On October 15, less than a month before the election, the presidential nominees will debate in Ann Arbor, proving that Michigan is clearly a key state and will remain a focal point all throughout this campaign year.
In mid-Michigan, we'll also see a state race in parts of Genesee County. Ten candidates are campaigning to fill Flint-mayor Sheldon Neeley's 34th District seat.