Republican National Convention Chairwoman Rona McDaniel warned a group in Michigan that President Donald Trump's path to victory in the state in 2020 might not be so easy.
Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club on Monday, McDaniel told the group that Michigan is still considered a swing state for the 2020 election and that a win for a Republican will be harder to come by.
"Michigan is going to be competitive, it's going to be harder. You did same-day [voter] registration and you have a Democrat governor. It's going to be a more difficult state, but we're up for the challenge and I think we're going to win Michigan," she said, according to MLive.com
In the 2016 presidential election, Trump won the state by 10,704 votes and became the first Republican presidential nominee since 1988 to take Michigan's 16 electoral votes. While the final voting tally was less than the 25,000 advantage predicted by some analysts for the RNC, Michigan became a key piece for Trump in defeating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Michigan was the state with the thinnest margin of victory for Trump in 2016.
However, McDaniel's concern towards Michigan could be based on more than the state electing a Democratic governor and allowing same-day voter registration. Recent poll results conducted on behalf of The Detroit News and WDIV-TV found that 54 percent of those Michiganders polled have an unfavorable view of the president.
Additionally, 51 percent of poll respondents indicated that if the presidential election were held that day, they would cast ballots for another candidate. Thirty-six percent of those polled said they would vote to re-elect Trump.
Of the Democratic candidates who are campaigning for their party's nomination, former Vice President Joe Biden was the leader with 55 percent, followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with 53 percent. South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg garnered 47 percent as did Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
During a March 2019 rally in Grand Rapids, Trump predicted that he will have an easier time in winning Michigan in the 2010 election.
"When I campaign, remember, it's going to be so much easier the second time," Trump said. "I'm one-for-one."
The poll also indicated that 47 percent of respondents do not support the president's ongoing trade war with China, agreeing that the war and ensuing tariffs are bad for Michigan.
Another concern for the GOP could be the shift in those elected during the 2018 midterms. The state saw voters move towards Democrats with the election of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other Democrats voted into state offices. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow retained her seat and two Democratic Representatives were elected to office in districts that had been Republican strongholds. Additionally, Rashida Tlaib defeated candidates running as Independent and on the Green Party ticket to maintain Democratic control in District 13 after incumbent John Conyers resigned in 2017.
US President Donald Trump delivers a speech during a French-US ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, northwestern France, on June 6, 2019, as part of D-Day commemorations marking the 75th anniversary of the World War II Allied landings in Normandy. Getty/IAN LANGSDON
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