Sanders rallies 700 in Alpena

Sen. Bernie Sanders visited Alpena, Michigan, on Monday to campaign for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed before the November 3 election. The visit occurred in a region that has long favored Republicans.

Organizers reported approximately 700 attendees at the event. This number exceeded initial projections, forcing staff to bring in extra chairs and remove a room divider. The crowd size stood out in a county that Donald Trump won by nearly 29 percentage points in the 2024 election.

Sanders spent the time praising El-Sayed and criticizing President Trump, income inequality, and the healthcare system. He framed the trip as an effort to connect with rural voters who often feel ignored by national campaigns.

“What we have found is that many rural communities often don’t get the attention that they deserve,” Sanders said in a recent interview. He argued that high costs have made Michigan residents more aware of the gap between their finances and the wealthy.

Local residents noted the rarity of such political activity in their area. Marion Hautea, a resident since 1997, said he had never attended a political rally until Monday. “The political picture in Alpena is on the red side,” Hautea said. “I think it’s a great way for people on the blue side to really partake in the experience.”

Diane O’Connor, an activist with the Alpena County Democratic Party, said she was impressed by the turnout but not surprised. “I thought it was very Bernie Sanders to come to a northern, small community,” O’Connor said. She believes the visit will help Democrats in the upcoming vote.

The trip is part of a larger strategy to reduce the Republican margin in northern Michigan. Experts note that statewide races are often decided by fewer than 100,000 votes. Democrats aim to narrow the deficit rather than flip the district entirely.

Republican nominee Mike Rogers is pursuing a similar tactic in traditional Democratic areas. He has courted Jewish voters and Detroiters who previously supported Haley Stevens. The Republican Party argues that progressive policies threaten local livelihoods, while Democrats point to national issues like high prices and the war in Iran to peel away support for the GOP.

Sanders and other members of Congress pledged more than $1.3 million to El-Sayed’s campaign recently. Sanders said the funds help counter outside groups that have heavily outspent the candidate. “Abdul is taking on everybody,” Sanders said. “We’re never going to have as much money as the billionaires and their super PACs, but I think we’ve got to do our best to make sure that Abdul has a fighting chance to win this election.”