Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris touched down in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday afternoon for a final campaign stop. Ms Harris made a series of appearances around the city in the battleground state, hoping to shore up some last-minute support from voters. She visited a canvassing event with first-term Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who is in a tight race against his Republican challenger. Dozens of supporters were socially distanced in a car park outside the Sheet Metals Workers International Association in Southfield, Oakland County, a suburb of Detroit. The county, which is the second largest in the state, could be vital to either candidate’s success. Ms Harris greeted the crowd with a casual “What’s up, Michigan?” before telling them how important their votes are. “The path to the White House runs right through this ’hood,” she told supporters. Ms Harris and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden are banking on a higher turnout among black voters in Michigan’s cities and suburbs to win the state back. “The power is in our hands,” she told the mainly black crowd. "Think about the long overdue reckoning on justice in America. “And Joe, being a student of American history, has the courage to speak the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’.” Her election day appearance in Michigan shows just how badly the Biden campaign wants to <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/the-americas/michigan-balmy-weather-and-fervent-ideals-drive-voters-to-the-polls-1.1105205">win the state back from the Republicans.</a> President Donald Trump won it by less than 11,000 votes in 2016. It was the first time a Republican took the state in a generation. Most major polls show Mr Trump trailing former vice president Biden there. The Biden campaign smells victory and is leaving no stone unturned. It is a stark contrast to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, which failed to visit the key battleground state in the final stretch of the 2016 election. Angela Sullivan caught a glimpse of Ms Harris during her second stop outside of the Greater Grace Temple polling location. “It made it more personal to see her. She’s no longer a person you don’t have any access to,” Ms Sullivan said. Numbers suggest Michigan is expected to have a record turnout, beating the 2008 election when about five million Michiganders cast their ballots. In 2016, turnout was 4.9 million. A high voter turnout could favour the Biden campaign, as they are expected to outperform Mr Trump’s team in the state’s urban centres.
