As someone who has spent decades working to protect civil rights and to build safety and prosperity for the people of Michigan — including as Corporation Counsel for the City of Detroit — I understand just how high the election stakes are this November. Just as in 2016, third-party candidates threaten to muddle the results this year and hand Trump the win. Just as in 2016, Michigan is key to the outcome. And as Michiganders we must come together, vote, and advocate for the Harris-Walz ticket, and make sure Donald Trump never gets near the levers of power ever again.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz offer a warm, hopeful, and inclusive vision for America. The weird, angry MAGA extremists and white nationalists pushing Donald Trump on the country offer something very different. And who wins will determine what kind of country we live in, and whether our economy continues to thrive — and whether our civil rights survive.
We’ve already seen what a Trump presidency will mean for Michigan. In his first term, he launched trade wars that hurt our farmers and businesses. He has mocked auto workers and undermined the auto industry’s transition to clean energy. His mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic led to thousands of unnecessary deaths here in Michigan, disproportionately including our Black parents and grandparents. And a return of Trump promises to be even worse: the MAGA right-wing has made no secret of what they intend to do if they return to power.
They’ll enact a national abortion ban, try to ban IVF and birth control, and repeal the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care to 1.4 million Michiganders. They’ll make it harder for Black people and poor people to exercise their civil rights. They’ll slash worker protections and end environmental justice programs. They’ll steeply ramp up policing. And they’ll confirm hundreds of new judges who will spend the rest of their lives making sure these anti-American policies are never rolled back.
We cannot afford to let any of that happen. But if we don’t keep our eyes on the prize, it very well could. In 2016, a razor-thin margin of just 10,000 Michiganders helped hand Donald Trump the presidency. Perennial third-party candidate Jill Stein got 50,000, meaning she likely cost Hillary Clinton a win. Stein’s back on the Michigan ballot again this year, along with Cornel West and other third-party spoilers.
For my part, I’m proud to help get the first Black woman, a woman with a decades-long record of distinguished public service, elected to the White House. But even if you’re not fully satisfied by what you see in Harris, voting for a spoiler like Stein or West is not the way to go: it will put our nation in danger. Third-party candidates can’t win, but they could pull away enough votes to hand Trump a second term — and that’s why MAGA donors and operatives are working behind the scenes to prop those candidates up.
Jill Stein’s campaign is being boosted by the Russians — and by Donald Trump himself, who has said, “Jill Stein, I like her very much … You know why? She takes 100% from [Democrats].” As for Cornel West, he’s got Republican operatives working for him in state after state. These shady figures aren’t pushing for third party candidates because they believe in their visions — they’re doing it for Trump. And even though the conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has dropped out of the race, he’ll still be on our ballots. A vote for him, or any other third-party candidate, is worse than a waste: it pushes Trump closer to victory.
In this tight contest, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the only candidates who can win against Trump and prevent the chaos, corruption, and cruelty that would define a second Trump term. They represent a vision for America that includes everyone — a country where civil rights are respected, where women’s health is protected, where working families are supported and opportunity is shared. They’ll keep our economy strong and our families healthy. They’ll help us build a better future for Michigan.
Our state’s voters have more power than most Americans to help decide this election. Let’s make sure we use that power to protect our democracy by voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz — so we can keep Donald Trump far, far away from the White House.