Vice President JD Vance is set to return to Michigan on October 27, rallying Republicans at CHI Aviation in Howell exactly one week before voters decide a U.S. Senate race that could help determine control of the chamber. Doors are expected to open at 10 a.m., though reports differ on the exact start time for the event itself.
According to WXYZ, the rally is set to start at noon, while MLive reports Vance is scheduled to speak at 1:55 p.m. The venue, at 3679 Bowen Road at the Livingston County Airport, marks Vance's second Michigan campaign stop in less than two weeks, the outlet notes.
Vance was last in the state on October 15, when he spoke to voters in Frenchtown Township near Monroe on behalf of Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers. At that event, he urged supporters to elect Rogers, framing the race, per Michigan Advance, as a test of what he called “a battle between grievance and gratitude.”
A Senate Race Drawing National Money and Attention
Rogers is running against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in a contest that has drawn national attention, with the outcome potentially shaping which party controls the U.S. Senate for the second half of President Trump's term, mlive.com reports. Recent Marist Poll data shows El-Sayed leading Rogers 50% to 48% among likely voters, based on a survey of 1,185 Michigan registered voters conducted October 15 through October 18. A separate Mitchell Research & Communications poll put El-Sayed further ahead, 45.6% to 41.4%, with a 3.8% margin of error and 6% of voters still undecided, according to WWMT.
That same outlet points to 2020 as a cautionary tale for reading too much into October numbers: an October 1 poll that year showed Democratic incumbent Gary Peters up by six points over Republican John James, but Peters ultimately won by just 1.7 percentage points. Advertising spending for the open Senate seat is expected to top $300 million by Election Day, per the Detroit News, and the two candidates have already met in their final debate before the election.
Trump, Obama Also Making Closing Arguments in Michigan
Vance's Howell stop comes amid a crowded stretch of high-profile Michigan visits. President Trump is scheduled to host his own midterm rally in Port Huron on October 25, while former President Barack Obama is set to appear alongside El-Sayed and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson at a get-out-the-vote rally in Detroit on October 24, the same day Michigan's statewide early voting period begins.
Political strategists cited by mlive.com say Trump's Port Huron visit could cut either way for Republicans — potentially mobilizing supporters, or handing Democrats fresh material tying Rogers to the president. The same analysis notes that Republicans spent $830 million on ads airing between September 9 and October 17, with fewer than 1% mentioning Trump by name, while Democrats spent $590 million, with 20% referencing the president. Marist's polling also found Trump's job approval among Michigan likely voters at 42%, against 57% who disapprove.
What's at Stake for Rogers
If elected, Rogers would become the first Michigan Republican sent to the U.S. Senate in more than 30 years, underscoring why both parties are pouring in star power and ad dollars during the race's final stretch. As CBS Detroit first reported, event organizers had not released additional details on the Howell rally as of publication. Michigan's constitutionally mandated early-voting period runs from October 24 through November 1, according to the Michigan Department of State, with voters guaranteed the ability to cast an in-person ballot starting October 24 ahead of the November 3 election.
