Former US president Barack Obama was due to join Michigan Democratic candidates Jocelyn Benson and Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign rally in Detroit as the state began early in-person voting for the 2026 midterm elections.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Cass Technical High School ahead of the event, where Michigan secretary of state Benson, who is running for governor, addressed the crowd.
The rally was being held on the first day of Michigan’s statewide early-voting period and was scheduled to run from 5pm to 7.30pm local time. It was organised as a get-out-the-vote event for Democratic candidates across the state.
Obama’s appearance was expected to give El-Sayed’s campaign a high-profile boost in his closely fought Senate race against Republican former congressman Mike Rogers.
Benson is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor and is facing Republican US representative John James. Both candidates were expected to appear alongside Obama and El-Sayed at Cass Tech.
Michigan’s Department of State said early in-person voting would continue until Sunday, November 1, ahead of the general election on Tuesday, November 3. Voters can cast ballots at designated early-voting sites for at least eight hours a day.
The Detroit event forms part of a wider effort by Michigan Democrats to mobilise supporters in a key battleground state, with the Senate and governor’s races among the contests expected to attract national attention.
