Michigan Senate candidate accuses Trump of keeping Canada-US bridge closed to help donor
WASHINGTON (AP) — delayed opening Construction of a bridge connecting Michigan and Canada is spilling over into one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races, as Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow launches the first major effort to turn the debate into a political liability for President Donald Trump and Republicans.
McMorrow’s new ad, first shared with The Associated Press, accuses Trump of blocking the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and suggests he did so to benefit a major political donor, building on the anti-corruption message he has tried to put at the center of his campaign.
The bridge, which spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City to Windsor, Ontario, was scheduled for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 12. civil servants He said the United States and Canada were still working to resolve “extraordinary problems.”
The dispute gives Democrats a rare opportunity to directly tie Trump to a project that has visible economic consequences in the battleground state. For McMorrow, who is trying to gain ground in a three-person primary, it also offers a chance to stand out as the first Democratic candidate to make the debate a campaign issue. He is running against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed.
The winner is now expected to face Republican Mike Rogers, who lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024. Rogers also used the bridge in political messages, saying that if sent to Washington he would make sure the bridge was opened.
Ad claims Trump blocked bridge for billionaire donor
Standing in front of the bridge, McMorrow claims in the ad that the bridge is ready to open but “stays closed because Donald Trump won’t open it.”
“I’m Mallory McMorrow and I have a message for the president: Open this damn bridge,” she says.
McMorrow argues that Trump closed the bridge because “the billionaire family that owns the other bridge gave him a million dollars.”
This claim refers to the Moroun family, which owns the private Embassy Bridge between Detroit and Windsor. Federal campaign finance records show Matthew Moroun donated $1 million to Trump’s super PAC earlier this year.
In February, Trump demanded in a social media post that Canada transfer at least half ownership of the bridge to the U.S. government and agree to other unspecified demands that are part of his broader demand. Conflicts with Canada overtrading.
Canada financed the construction of the bridge. The project was negotiated by Michigan’s former Republican governor, Rick Snyder, and work has been underway since 2018, costing close to $4.4 billion.
Named after Canadian hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons managing the Detroit Red Wings, the bridge is expected to be another vital economic artery between Canada and the United States.
McMorrow is experiencing huge fluctuations. may need
McMorrow hopes to do well in a race that many in the state increasingly view as a two-candidate contest.
In an interview with the AP, McMorrow acknowledged that he was a “dark horse” candidate from the beginning of the race. Recognized as a state senator viral talk He faces a congressman with big resources in Stevens in 2022. El-Sayed, who ran for governor in 2018, charted a progressive path with the support of Senator Bernie Sanders.
The Gordie Howe digital ad is the second in a series with an initial buy of over $400,000 across TV and digital platforms in the Detroit market. The first commercial was a 30-second TV spot that aired on Tuesday.
“Right now my two opponents in this primary are trying to present a false binary choice,” McMorrow said.
Outside groups also began pouring money into the race. According to AdImpact, a PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent nearly $8 million supporting Stevens this month; Yes Michigan Action Committee, a super PAC backing McMorrow, allocated nearly $6 million for advertising.
Last week, El-Sayed became the first Democratic candidate in the race to spend directly on an ad.
“We’ve got six weeks. So anything can happen,” McMorrow said. “There are a lot of people who are just starting to adapt to this race.”
