VP Kamala Harris to visit Michigan for Whitmer fundraiser, student event

Washington −Vice President Kamala Harris is planning a visit to Metro Detroit on Saturday for a fundraiser for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other events, a White House official said Tuesday.

Harris is expected at a Michigan Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Detroit with Whitmer and Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist less than four weeks out from Election Day. Whitmer, who is vice chair of the DNC, is running for a second term against Republican challenger Tudor Dixon.

The White House said the vice president will then participate in an in Detroit event focused on the legislation passed by Congress over the summer that set aside around $50 billion in funding for domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. 

The CHIPs and Science Act, which President Joe Biden signed in August, aims to boost domestic microchip manufacturing in the wake of a global shortage that shook the automotive industry and revealed problems in supply chains.   In a third stop, Harris is planning to head to Southfield to take part in a voter education event with students. No further details were provided Tuesday, but the White House said Harris will then travel to Los Angeles later in the day.

This will be Harris' first official trip to Michigan since July 2021 when she took part in events urging Michiganians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and discussed voting rights in Detroit. That trip was initially planned for June but was postponed after Metro Detroit experienced major flooding from a storm. 

mburke@detroitnews.com