Michigan elections FAQ: More surprises coming in presidential race?

In new Michigan elections FAQ episode, Bridge Michigan reporters discuss Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign
Reporter Simon Schuster discusses the reaction by Michigan Democratic officials, many of whom are now backing Kamala Harris
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is attempting to distance herself from vice presidential speculation, says reporter Lauren Gibbons

LANSING — President Joe Biden’s Sunday decision to end his reelection campaign was the latest shocking development in what had already been a shocking election cycle.

Luckily, Bridge Michigan political reporters were at the ready to break it all down Monday morning in our latest Michigan elections FAQ live show.

Watch the new episode here:

“This is a historic decision that really reshapes 2024 in ways that we can’t even begin to comprehend yet,” reporter Lauren Gibbons said of Biden’s withdrawal from the race.

Here’s what we know so far:

Many high-ranking Michigan Democrats are backing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket.
That includes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who Monday morning backed Harris but distanced herself from running-mate speculation by saying, “I’m not leaving Michigan.”
Democrats will officially decide their presidential and vice presidential nominees at next month’s national party convention in Chicago.

Former President Donald Trump, who was in Grand Rapids on Saturday for his first public rally since surviving an assassination attempt, knew it was possible Biden would leave the race but had seemingly preferred that matchup.

Related:

“Obviously, this is not necessarily a change that the Trump campaign wanted to see happen, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they pivot on their talking points,” Schuster said, noting Trump had taken an informal poll of Harris and Biden matchups during his weekend rally.

Reporters also answered several reader questions about the Aug. 6 primary and Nov. 5 general elections, including takeaways from last week’s Republican National Convention and what we know about the run-up to Biden’s disastrous debate performance last month, which proved to be the beginning of the end for his reelection campaign.

Bridge will be back next week with another Michigan elections FAQ live show. Sign up for our Politics Watch newsletter to be sure you get the invite. Submit your questions for Bridge reporters here.