Right around the corner

May 26-- May 26--TRAVERSE CITY -- The Iowa caucuses -- the official kickoff to the presidential election season -- are just seven months away, and the Michigan primary is a mere five weeks later on March 10, 2020.

Although two dozen candidates have thrown their hat in the ring for the Democratic nomination and the chance to defeat an incumbent president for the first time since 1992, the issues caught in the middle of the vitriolic partisan politics are garnering more attention.

Immigration and border security remain a contentious debate among right and left wing activists. Republican-led efforts to repeal all or parts of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, have been met with favor from some while others deride the move as an attempt to kicks millions of health care and keep the poorest in the nation poor.

Restrictive legislation recently introduced and passed in Georgia and Alabama have reignited the abortion debate settled in 1973 through Roe v. Wade and again in 1992 through Casey v. Planned Parenthood. Some see the moves as a giant step backward for women's reproductive rights, while others champion the bills as a victory for the unborn.

President Donald Trump continues to be the focus throughout these debates as challengers to the White House, such as Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris emerge as some of the likeliest candidates to square off against him in 2020.

Michigan went red in 2016, but the 2018 mid-terms showed a strong rebound from the Democrats with the election of Gretchen Whitmer as governor and Rashida Tlaib as a U.S. representative as part of the "Blue Wave."

Voters in Michigan now have to wade through the politics before Nov. 3, 2020, comes calling.

As part of the Record-Eagle's ongoing Pulse of the Voters feature, six locals give their thoughts on the current political climate and what to expect during the run up to Election Day.

Visit Record-Eagle.com for our Pulse of the Voters collection, featuring more than 30 stories from local voters. Want to participate? Contact us at [email protected] or call 231-933-1468. We'd love to hear from you.

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