LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- A billionaire took his fight to impeach President Donald Trump to Lansing Monday, this time with a slightly new message.
Tom Steyer, a Democratic activist and hedge fund manager, launched his Need to Vote campaign – with $10 million going toward the effort. The plan from now until the general election in November is to get as many people to vote as possible. The goal is to elect enough people to national office across the US that are willing to impeach Trump that the president can be removed from office.
Steyer said he launched the new campaign from Lansing because, “It’s a swing district in a swing state. With Michigan State and Grand Valley? Oh my goodness. This is where it’s happening in the United States of America.”
The Need to Vote campaign says between now and November, it will contact every single one of the 5.5 million people who signed a petition to impeach Trump. The campaign will encourage those people to vote in the midterm.
Kevyn Welter is a teacher from Flushing. She went to the event and said she plans to join the campaign and tell her students who can vote about it.
“This is something we need to do as a state and as a country, is to make sure we’re out there getting our voices heard,” Welter said.
Steyer said in Michigan the campaign will focus on three key swing districts and the governor’s race. Those swing districts include the 8th Congressional race. That seat has been held by Republican Mike Bishop since 2015.
“We want to make sure that the people of Michigan show up, and we’re trying to make sure, as much as possible, that there is the grassroots organization to make them understand how important their vote is,” he said.
Critics of Steyer’s campaign to impeach Trump say it’s a distraction that could end up energizing Trump voters.