Vice President Kamala Harris joined Detroit-born singer Lizzo in Detroit Saturday for the first day of early in-person voting to tell Motown they hold the key to the election.
Detroit has an opportunity to make a difference in this close presidential election, Lizzo said, adding that all the best things are made in Detroit: coney dogs, Faygo and Lizzo.
Insults to Michigan’s largest city, like the one Trump made last week in Detroit saying that if Harris wins, “the whole country will end up being like Detroit,” make no sense, Lizzo said.
“They say if Kamala wins then the whole country will be like Detrot,” Lizzo said. “Proud like Detroit; resilient like Detroit. We’re talking about the same Detroit that innovated the auto industry and the music industry, so put some respect on Detroit’s name.”
Harris agreed, wearing a “Detroit vs. Everybody” shirt that was given to her at a Tuesday event in Motown.
Western International High School in Detroit is awaiting Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit today with guest @lizzo pic.twitter.com/UyMOgIfRlT
— Anna Liz Nichols (@annaliznichols) October 19, 2024
Georgia and North Carolina have both broken records this week for early voting turnout, but Harris asked the Motown crowd, “Who is the capital of producing records?”
“We are going to break some records here in Detroit today,” Harris said. “We know what is at stake. … We have the power to make the decisions about the direction of our country, and we know this election is about two very different visions for our future. Ours focused on the future, focused on our young leaders, focused on possibility, understanding the ambitions and the aspirations and the dreams of the American people, understanding like the people of Detroit, we have grit, we have excellence, we have history.”
It’s a close election so everybody needs to come out and vote, Harris said, and Detroiters have to tell their neighbors to get to the polls as they are vital voters who deserve a say in the future.
In 2020, former President Donald Trump supporters swarmed election workers tallying votes in the election in Detroit. The city has also played a large role in his false claims that the election was stolen, even though he lost Michigan to President Joe Biden by more than 154,000 votes.
And as youth voter turnout in Michigan dipped during this year’s primary, despite being best in the nation in the 2022 midterm election, Lizzo called on Detroiters not to be demoralized.
“If your vote didn’t matter, then voter suppression would not exist. If your vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t discourage young people from going to the polls. If your vote didn’t matter, our parents and our grandparents would not have marched and fought for our right to vote,” Lizzo said.
Michigan is the swing state of all swing states, Lizzo said, echoing the same sentiment as both the Trump and Harris campaigns.“Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or neither, you deserve a president who listens when you speak. You deserve a president who respects you when you protest. You deserve a president who understands that your job is to be a public servant and Kamala Harris has dedicated her entire career to public service, from D.A. [district attorney] to V.P.,” Lizzo said. “And I think Mrs. The Commander in Chief has a nice ring to it. … If you ask me if America is ready for its first woman president, I only got one thing to say: It’s about damn time.”
Michigan has been the epicenter of campaign activity over the last week. Harris spent three days in Michigan, making stops in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Waterford Township. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is scheduled to be in Saginaw on Sunday. Trump held a rally in Detroit on Friday night and his running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, is slated to do a NewsNation town hall in metro Detroit on Thursday.
Several Harris surrogates have also campaigned in the state, including first lady Jill Biden on Monday in Oakland County. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer led a bus tour across the state, which included Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) stumped for Harris Saturday at Central Michigan University and Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, was slated to do events in Grand Rapids and Southfield on Sunday.
A free festival on Saturday sponsored by the city of Detroit and the Detroit Pistons, Pistonsland: What Up D.O.E., was held to encourage early voting and included performances by Lil Baby, Skilla Babby and Tay B.
Even though the first day of early voting is a Saturday in Michigan, it’s a work day, Harris said and Detroit knows how to work. And work this election looks like talking to your neighbors and telling them that they are important, that there are things to be optimistic about and there are more things that unite the values of the country than divide it, she said.
Detroit and the Detroit Pistons held a free event to encourage early voting, Pistonsland: What Up D.O.E., on Oct. 19, 2024 | Ken Coleman
The message Harris and Lizzo are bringing Detroit as early voting is underway is so important, Darlene Dickson, 57, said while standing in line to vote. It means a lot for the vice president to come to Detroit and advocate for voting, but for the younger Michiganders, Lizzo is an amazing addition.
“Lizzo, she’s on her way to becoming an icon, so a lot of people follow her. She has a large platform,” Dickson said, “Just telling people you’re voting Kamala, that just touched me, because I know she’s talking to a different generation, which is important.”
Dickson said used to work in medical transportation, as many Detroiters can’t always make it to their medical appointments due to lack of transportation. But coming into the election because of some of the investments Biden and Harris made in Detroit to support public transportation, she said things are improving.
Ultimately, Detroiters care about who shows up and who’s going to support the city and abide by democracy, Dickson said, and in that respect the preferred candidate is clear.
“I am a Detroiter and one of the things I value is people who obey the Constitution and the law,” Dickson said. “I can’t vote for someone, whoever that may be, who disregards the law and the Constitution. … Tim Walz and Kamala Harris, I think they’re going to represent all different people on all different levels, which is important to us. I think everybody deserves a chance.”
Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas for questions: info@michiganadvance.com. Follow Michigan Advance on Facebook and X.
