This is the second in a series of Grassroots Reports we will be providing over the final few weeks of the campaign to let the blogosphere know what 21st Century Democrats is doing in several key battleground states. This week we're focusing on Michigan where Democrats continue to build momentum. Recently, John McCain was forced to pull out of the Wolverine State in a move that will benefit not only Barack Obama, but Democrats all down the ticket - including our endorsed candidates Gary Peters, Mark Schauer and Andy Meisner.
21st Century Democrats has focused the majority of our resources in the important swing district of Oakland County. We've had organizers on the ground there for months and the polls have started to show voters moving in the Democrats' favor with Barack Obama now leading John McCain in the county by 6%. While this is a good sign, we must keep fighting hard until all the votes are counted on November 4th.
In Michigan's 9th Congressional District (which includes Oakland County), Gary Peters is running ahead of incumbent Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg. Recent polling has shown Peters up by as much as 9 points, and he is 'banking' a lot of support in preparation for a strong get-out-the-vote effort. The campaign has already identified over 55,000 'yes' votes for Gary! Things are also looking good in the 7th Congressional District where Mark Schauer is consistently polling 7-10 points ahead of his opponent, Rep. Tim Walberg.
Andy Meisner, our endorsed candidate for Oakland County Treasurer, is running a truly impressive field operation as he tries to move to a new post after three successful terms in the state legislature. 21st Century Democrats' organizers have helped the Meisner Campaign contact 34,143 voters and make 7,886 IDs. The numbers are looking very good with 7,886 voters identified as a '1s' or '2s' (meaning they will likely vote for Andy) against only 463 people who said they would probably vote for his opponent.
The prospects for a big Democratic victory in Michigan are strong, but we can't let McCain's withdrawal make us complacent. As Peter's Republican opponent's campaign manager said, "our voter turnout operation is knocking on doors to get people to show up on Election Day." These Republicans understand the value of knocking doors and turning out the vote - and so do we! I hope you will support our efforts in Michigan and around the country.
Our first state report (on Montana) can be found here.
