Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan endorses President Joe Biden

DETROIT (FOX 2) - In an unsurprising move, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan endorsed President Joe Biden for re-election as he held a news conference with leaders of some of Detroit's top union leaders.

Duggan spoke Tuesday morning from downtown Detroit, where he was joined by leaders of Detroit area unions, in the endorsement. Duggan said Biden's upbringing should resonate with Detroit and Michigan voters.

"The thing is, I’m not much to argue in the rhetoric. We have to take the time to talk facts, and the facts are, we’re doing really well economically in this area compared to where we were because we got a guy who grew up in Scranton, who sees the world through the eyes of folks trying to make a good living every day and is figuring out how to fight for him every day," Duggan said.

The mayor talked about Biden's investment in Detroit's recovery from the pandemic and its development in downtown infrastructure.

Union leaders are also throwing support behind Biden, almost a year after he became the first sitting U.S. President to stand with members on a picket line. It was a move that strengthened his support with some metro Detroiters – like Andre Crooks.

"I’m not rich. I come from humble beginnings. For him to stand by us and want to give the lower and middle class people a leg up in the economy is appreciated," Crooks said.

Tuesday's announcement is 24 hours before former President Donald Trump visits Saginaw.

UAW President Shawn Fain has already endorsed Biden for President and local union leaders point to Trump's anti-union stance,s saying it's bad for Michigan.

Why the union vote matters

A study by Statista shows, in the 2020 Presidential election, a majority of households with a union member voted for Biden: 57% to Trump's 40%.

It was likely key to Biden's victory in 2020 as he held a slight edge of 51-48 in households without unions.

"It was imperative for me to be here today to show my support for workers, to show my support for President Joe Biden, who has also proven to be a supporter of the labor movement. President Biden knows the struggles of working class families in the city, and he’s doing something about it," said Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield.

For Duggan, he said it came down to the question that is asked every four years during a Presidential election: are we better off?

"If we spend our time debating culture wars, we’re gonna lose. If we actually talk about who’s made our lives better, who’s made our pocketbook better, we’re gonna have to work hard to get this president reelected," he said.