A political scientist assesses midterms and party differences in Michigan

The November 8 election is tomorrow and polls are showing leads by the Democrats in the Michigan races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state narrowing.

In a year that saw public uproar over the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe, election deniers running on many ballots and several unconventional GOP candidates — there was a time when many thought the Democrats had a good shot at possibly winning majorities nationally in the House and Senate. That seems to no longer be true.

Heading into the election, concerns about inflation, immigration and cultural issues are gaining more focus and leading some to wonder whether the issues that had animated the left, like abortion access, will stave off a potentially big red wave.

“Republicans tend to campaign sort of against the broad direction that society is taking under Democrats, and Democrats tend to campaign sort of in favor of particular policies that they think will appeal to each group in their broad coalition.” — Matt Grossmann, political scientist

Listen: How Michigan voters are gearing up to vote in the midterms.

Guest

Matt Grossmann is the director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University, and host of “The Science of Politics” podcast. He says Republicans and Democrats operate differently in the ways that they try to turn out the vote.

“Republicans tend to campaign sort of against the broad direction that society is taking under Democrats, and Democrats tend to campaign sort of in favor of particular policies that they think will appeal to each group in their broad coalition,” says Grossman.