UTICA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz visited Macomb County on Friday. He made stops in Warren and Utica.
"When Vice President Harris and I are elected, we'll have your backs just like you had our backs every step of the way," he told a cheering crowd of United Auto Workers members.
In the morning, the Minnesota governor spoke to the union members at Macomb Community College in Warren.
Watch Walz's speech in the video below:
He discussed a number of pro-labor policies he and Vice President Kamala Harris plan to implement if she's elected president.
"When we fight together, we win," Walz shouted.
Right after this speech, Walz met with a group of Black men at Vino and Vibes Wine Bar in Utica. This political season, there's been talk that Black men largely aren't supporting the Harris campaign.
"Frankly, the thing is Black men, we're not necessarily getting out to vote because we need to have things to get us out there. We have had a system, which they've, frankly, forgotten about us," voter Devin Woodruff told 7 News Detroit. "So, it's really cool to see that Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are being intentional with having circles and whatnot of having these conversations."
Chadrick Fleno II, another voted, said "Well, one of the things that I'm concerned about is housing affordability."
Arthur Harrington said, "I don't want to feel as if the Black vote is being taken for granted. We have voted Democrat for close to a century. What can you do for us in regards to economic opportunity?"
Willie Mac Jr., the owner of Cred Cafe in Detroit, said "I'm a small business. So, that hits home with me. We, our business is for the community. So, them being so community-oriented, ya know, rebuilding the middle class, that keeps the entire economy strong is really important to me."
Kermit Williams said, "It was phenomenal. He was really down to earth and he talked about real people issues with the exception of what we saw yesterday."
Williams is referring to former President Donald Trump's visit to Detroit on Thursday. Trump said the rest of the country will look like Detroit if Harris gets elected.
Watch Trump's speech in the video below:
In response to Walz's visit, the Michigan Republican Party released the following statement:
"Today, Tim Walz has to explain to Michiganders how Kamala Harris will bring change while saying there's nothing she'd do differently to change the policies that have devastated our state over the past 3.5 years. That's a tall order, because there's a lot Michiganders who would have liked things to be done differently. Michiganders want leadership that is able to lower inflation, cut taxes, protect our automobile industry, and close our southern border. Kamala wasn't able to do any of this over the last three and a half years - and clearly she doesn't have any intention to do so now."
