GOP Candidates Turn To Michigan
This story was written by Emily Barton, Michigan Daily
Over the past few days, Republican presidential candidates have ramped up their campaign efforts in Michigan.
Arizona Sen. John McCain will be campaigning in Ann Arbor Tuesday, but does not plan to visit campus. He will speak at Michigan State University on Sunday.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and current Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who will be in Detroit today, have made numerous appearances around the state. Romney will be campaigning mostly on the west side of Michigan.
LSA junior Chris Irvine, chair of the College Republicans, said he's hoping for a strong Republican voter turnout in Tuesday's primary because the Democratic candidates aren't campaigning in Michigan.
He said most of the Republican student campaigning is being left up to each candidate's campus group.
"The lack of Democrats on the ballot hasn't affected how much work they're putting in either way," he said.
Kinesiology senior Allison Schneider, chair of Students for McCain, said she's hopeful McCain's win in New Hampshire will help his chances in Michigan. She said that McCain will face stiff competition from Romney, whose father was the governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969.
Romney has canceled all of his campaign commitments in South Carolina and Nevada to focus solely on Michigan.
LSA senior Amy Drumm, chair of Students for Romney, helped open a campaign office for Romney near Briarwood Mall this week. She said volunteers have been coming to the office to make phone calls and collect supplies for door-to-door canvassing.
Drumm said she plans to spend every day in the office until after the primary election on Tuesday.
Drumm said she's hoping for a high Republican voter turnout because all of the Republican candidates will be on the ballot. She also said she thinks turnout will be boosted by Democrats who would rather vote in the Republican primary than vote uncommitted in the Democratic primary. Ever since Michigan was stripped of all Democratic delegates and half of the Republican delegates, many students have developed a sense of apathy toward Michigan's role in the primaries.
LSA freshman Jourdan Sims, a Southfield resident, said she hasn't mailed in her voter registration form yet. She said she was excited to hear that Clinton won in New Hampshire, but she hasn't made up her mind who to vote for yet.
LSA senior Sara Mitchel said she supports Romney but that she isn't paying attention to Michigan's primary election. Mitchel, a registered voter in Illinois, said she doesn't plan to vote in the primaries.
"I haven't really been paying attention to what's going on, so how could I vote?" she said. "But I will vote for the actual election in Chicago."
- Daily Staff Reporter Daniel Strauss and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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