Sen. Bernie Sanders to stump for Biden in Michigan Monday

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost Michigan's presidential primary to former Vice President Joe Biden, will visit the state Monday to tout the Democratic nominee.

Sanders, the self-declared democratic socialist from Vermont, will aim to boost voting participation from college students, a key voting bloc for him four years ago when he unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Sanders will give a speech to college students in Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, that will be live streamed across the state, according to the Biden campaign. He will subsequently speak at a car rally in Macomb County, a key county that President Donald Trump carried 54% to 42% in 2016.

"Sanders and participants will highlight what’s at stake in the election and all the ways Michiganders can vote in this election," according to a Biden campaign press release. 

Sanders is set to campaign for Biden in a state that Trump won by 10,704 votes in 2016, his smallest margin of victory nationally. Sanders narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton four years ago in the Democratic primary.

In March, Sanders and Biden squared off during the presidential primary race in Michigan. Sanders held large rallies in Detroit, Grand Rapids and other cities. Biden made stops across the state on March 9, the day before the election. 

The former vice president ended up winning by about 17 percentage points, helping cement his lead in the race and ultimately, the party's nomination.

The Trump campaign has sought to tie Biden to Sanders' far-left stances after the Vermont senator and the former vice president reached a platform compromise ahead of the Democratic National Convention. 

As Trump continues to be hospitalized at the Walter Reed medical facility with COVID-19, Sanders tweeted Saturday an endorsement of Biden's approach to the pandemic.

"Which candidate will be disciplined and responsible in dealing with this pandemic? Joe Biden. Which candidate will develop policies based on the advice of the best scientists? Joe Biden. Which candidate has the temperament to see us through this difficult crisis? Joe Biden."

cmauger@detroitnews.com