WASHINGTON (AP) — The delayed opening of a bridge connecting Michigan and Canada is spilling into one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races, as Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow launches the first major effort to turn the controversy into a political liability for President Donald Trump and Republicans.
McMorrow’s new ad, shared first with The Associated Press, accuses Trump of blocking the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and suggests he is doing so to benefit a major political donor, building on an anti-corruption message she has sought to make central to her campaign.
The bridge, which spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City with Windsor, Ontario, was slated for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 12. It was abruptly postponed after officials said the U.S. and Canada were still working to resolve “outstanding issues.”
The dispute gives Democrats a rare opportunity to tie Trump directly to a project with visible economic consequences in a battleground state. For McMorrow, who is trying to gain ground in a three-person primary, it also offers a chance to distinguish herself as the first Democratic candidate to make the controversy a campaign issue. She's running against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed.
The winner is expected to face Republican Mike Rogers, who lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024. Rogers has also used the bridge in political messaging, saying that if he's sent to Washington he'll make sure the bridge is opened.
The ad claims Trump is blocking the bridge for billionaire donor
Standing in front of the bridge, McMorrow claims in the ad that it's ready to open but remains closed because “Donald Trump won’t open it.”
“I’m Mallory McMorrow and I have one message for the president: open this damn bridge,” she says.
McMorrow argues that Trump is blocking the bridge because “the billionaire family that owns the other bridge gave him a million bucks."
That claim references the Moroun family, owners of the privately held Ambassador 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 hand over at least half ownership of the bridge to the U.S. government and accept other unspecified demands, part of his broader clashes with Canada over trade.
Canada financed the bridge’s construction. The project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and work has been underway since 2018 and cost close to $4.4 billion.
Named after the late Canadian hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings, the bridge is expected to be another vital economic artery between Canada and the United States.
McMorrow is taking big swings. She may need to
McMorrow is hoping to break through in a race that many in the state see increasingly as a two-candidate contest.
In an interview with AP, McMorrow acknowledged that from the start of the race she's been a “dark horse” candidate. A state senator known for a viral speech in 2022, she faces a congresswoman with large resources in Stevens. El-Sayed, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, has carved out the progressive lane with Sen. Bernie Sanders' backing.
The Gordie Howe digital ad is the second ad in a series, with an initial buy of over $400,000 on TV and digital platforms in the Detroit market. The first ad was a 30-second TV spot released Tuesday.
“Right now in this primary, my two opponents are trying to present a false binary choice,” McMorrow said.
Outside groups have also begun pouring money into the race. A PAC connected to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has spent nearly $8 million this month boosting Stevens, while Yes Michigan Action Committee, a super PAC supporting McMorrow, has reserved nearly $6 million in advertising, according to AdImpact.
Last week, El-Sayed became the first Democratic candidate in the race to directly spend for an ad.
“We have six weeks. I mean, anything can happen,” said McMorrow. “There are so many people who are just starting to tune into this race.”
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