The presidential election is merely weeks away, and as the candidates frequently stop in Michigan, some voters are considering switching parties.
It’s not just independent voters, as recent events combined with longtime problems have caused people to reconsider their party allegiance in one of the key battleground states.
“I think when it’s, particularly, when it comes around the Black voters that typically around this time of the year, they tend to say the things that are the most appealing to the Black voters,” said Chelsi, who declined to give her last name.
However, she agreed to share why she’s considering former President Donald Trump but claims she’s also researching Vice President Kamala Harris.
The therapist is concerned about immigration and the southern border.
“It’s just one of the situations that’s just waiting to blow up in our faces if we don’t get a handle on it quickly,” Chelsi said.
According to a Pew Research Center study released in August, 77% of Black voters said they’d vote for or lean toward Harris if the election were held then, while 13% favored Trump.
For Michigan Muslims, the Israel-Hamas war has turned into a flashpoint.
CAIR Michigan told Local 4 there’s a general dissatisfaction with the current administration’s response to the escalating tensions.
The outcome has some people opting for Trump.
“It’s highly likely that some of those people who have left the Democratic party or voting for Democrats will probably never come back,” said Dawud Walid, the executive director of CAIR Michigan.
A CAIR survey shows that nearly 70% of respondents generally vote Democrat, but nearly 60%% plan to vote for other parties this election cycle.
In Macomb County, Jim Martin is a longtime independent.
In 2020, he voted for Trump. Four years later, he said he was not so sure.
“I still feel like there’s issues that need to be uncovered that I haven’t done my full research on,” said Martin.
As a commercial banker, Martin said he’s concerned about the economy, inflation, and the southern border.
To be clear, all three voters are not saying who they’re definitely voting for president.
Still, their vote won’t come easy.