“We all need all of you to show up like you've never shown up before," Gilchrist said.

“Donald Trump is trying to hijack your ability to vote and hijack our ability to run elections,” Gilchrist said. “The U.S. Constitution says that is our power and our responsibility, not a corrupt president, not the federal government."

Just last month, the U.S. Department of Justice sent federal election monitors to polling locations in East Lansing, Lansing and Detroit for the primary election on Aug. 4. Federal election monitors were deployed to five other states as part of the Trump administration's attempts to quell election fraud amid debunked claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

"When they try to come at your votes or your voting rights, they gotta go through this 6-foot-8 guy," Gilchrist joked, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Gilchrist told The State News that holding the Trump administration accountable is paramount to protecting Michigan voters.

“We are suing them in court to block them when they take legal action and we are setting clear rules about what they can do when they come to Michigan," Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist previously ran in the Michigan gubernatorial race against current Michigan Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson, who is currently Secretary of State, before dropping out in January.   

The room was filled with a heavy sense of momentum following Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Students donned El-Sayed campaign pins, and mentions of the left-wing political outsider were sprinkled throughout the speakers’ remarks. El-Sayed will now face Trump-endorsed candidate Mike Rogers, a former U.S. Representative, in November.

The November midterm elections mark a turning point for the Democratic Party, which lacks much of the federal power needed to combat the Trump administration. The MSU College Democrats, which boasts the largest student membership in the country, has been instrumental in the party’s attempts to win more seats in Michigan. An MSU poll released today found Democratic candidates leading in both the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. 

Savit, the current Washtenaw County Prosecutor, described his race for attorney general as fighting to be "the lawyer for the entire people of the state of Michigan.” 

“State attorneys general are the only actors frequently that can go into court against the federal administration and sue Donald Trump when he breaks the law," Savit said.

Harrison, a former MSU James Madison College professor, was motivated by the results of the 2024 election to launch her own campaign. 

"Part of the reason why I decided to run is because there's so much noise in the larger national political landscape,” Harrison said. “And I wanted to do something instead of just feeling despair. I use that energy and put it to use to win my primary."

Harrison won her district primary with 41.8% of the Democratic vote and will now face GOP candidate Julie L. DeRose, who ran uncontested in her primary. 

Harrison pointed to her background as an educator when pressing the importance of reproductive rights. 

“It pains me that my students over the last several years, basically, are less free than I have been," Harrison told The State News.