Michigan is again a crucial state in this year’s presidential elections. As the race heats up, the Free Press is focused on delivering coverage that includes Michigan voters and the issues they are most concerned about, both at the local level and the issues being debated on the national stage.
To emphasize how important Michigan voters are again this cycle, we’re focusing on eight counties identified through a partnership with the American Communities Project (more on that here), because they offer a wide range of voters with different life experiences, ideas and opinions.
Here you can find eight profile stories about these provinces, which you can read for free:
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Wayne County: Michigan’s largest, most diverse county regularly presents a sizable voting bloc for Democratic candidates. But the upcoming presidential election could hinge on whether voters in Detroit, Michigan’s largest city, turn out at a high level.
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Kent County: Kent County, home to Grand Rapids, the second largest city in Michigan, was once seen as a Republican stronghold. But as the province has grown, it has turned into a legitimate election battleground, attracting national media every four years. The county’s composition of urban, suburban, and rural communities is also a reflection of Michigan’s composition as a state.
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Ingham County: Ingham County is perhaps best known as the home of the state capital or Michigan State University. But it’s also a mix of rural, urban and college communities, making up a unique cross-section of voters in a state expected to play a crucial role in this year’s elections.
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Livingston County: Many communities in Livingston County tend to be more conservative, but a geographic split in voting patterns is emerging between the county’s suburban and rural communities. Originally composed mostly of small towns and rural areas with family farms, in recent decades the southeastern area of ​​the county has seen an influx of people settling and commuting to the urban and suburban areas of metro Detroit.
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Osceola CountyOsceola County residents can’t afford to ignore politics: From a fight to preserve a unique community order to the work being done to attract new businesses, Osceola County residents are getting involved as national issues like inflation take place at a local level.
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Saginaw County: Saginaw County has become a bellwether in Michigan – every four years since 1992, the presidential candidate who won the county has also captured Michigan’s electoral votes by winning the entire state. The province will feel its political juices in 2024.
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Schoolcraft County: When you ask residents of Schoolcraft County in the Upper Peninsula to talk about their home, they usually first mention its scenic surroundings and how close they are to Lake Michigan. But the same rural qualities they value create problems for the community that other, larger counties in the state do not face, something that influences the area’s concerns, solutions and political landscape.
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Newaygo County: Newaygo County, a reliably red county, is home to just over 50,000 residents. It is an area where unique downtowns and natural recreational opportunities shape much of the economy and discourse, and Newaygo County residents are involved in local issues as well as those nationally.
This article is part of a collaboration between The Free Press, a course at Michigan State University and the American Communities Project to tell the stories of voters, their experiences and their political motivations in Michigan communities leading up to the elections of 2024. Contact us at votervoices@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Read profiles on these eight Michigan counties ahead of the election
