Gretchen Whitmer, Mike Duggan stump for Joe Biden ahead of Michigan’s Tuesday primary

The governor of Michigan and mayor of its largest city were out on the campaign trail for former Vice President Joe Biden (D) on Sunday.

Detroit’s Mayor Mike Duggan (D) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) campaigned for Biden in restaurants and churches across the city on Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported, while Biden himself was set to head to the state on Monday.

“This is an important couple of days. The whole world is focusing on Michigan right now and with good reason,” Whitmer reportedly said at the Citadel of Praise Church on Sunday.

“When our back was against the wall and the auto industry was struggling, it was [former President] Barack Obama and Joe Biden who had Michigan’s back. And it made our economy stronger,” she added. “And so right now, in this moment, it’s important that we have his back, too.”

Duggan predicted that Biden would win the city of Detroit in an interview with the Free Press, telling the newspaper that he would be surprised if the former vice president did not receive “strong support” from Democrats in the city.

“The reaction that I’m getting from Detroiters for Joe Biden is very strong,” he told the newspaper. “So I will be very surprised if the vice president doesn’t get strong support out of the city of Detroit.” 

The work from Biden’s two top surrogates in Michigan comes days ahead of the state’s primary on Tuesday and as Biden’s rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has also set his sights on the delegate-rich Rust Belt state.

Sanders spoke with activists and supporters in Flint, Mich. on Saturday where he scrapped plans for a major speech on race issues after speaking with panelists and opting to discuss the issue through a town hall event instead.