Politics is dirty. In Michigan, it’s also blocking traffic. A massive, $4.4 billion bridge connecting Detroit to Canada sits empty, and Democrats smell blood. Mallory McMorrow, a state senator fighting for her political life in a brutal three-way Democratic primary, just launched a scorched-earth ad campaign. Her target? Donald Trump. Her accusation? Pure, unadulterated pay-to-play corruption.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge was supposed to open on June 12. It didn’t. Bureaucrats blamed “outstanding issues” between Washington and Ottawa. McMorrow blames cold, hard cash. Standing before the steel colossus, she pointed her finger directly at the former president. She claims Trump is keeping the span closed to protect the Moroun family. They own the rival Ambassador Bridge. They also dropped a cool $1 million into Trump’s super PAC earlier this year. Coincidence? McMorrow thinks not. “Open this damn bridge,” she demands in the ad.
It is a smart play. Desperate, but smart. McMorrow is running uphill. She is currently polling behind U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, who is backed by an avalanche of establishment cash, and progressive darling Abdul El-Sayed. Stevens has AIPAC-linked groups dumping $8 million into her coffers. El-Sayed has Bernie Sanders’ blessing. McMorrow has a bridge. She needs a miracle. This digital ad blitz, part of a $400,000 buy, is her Hail Mary.
Trump’s beef with the bridge isn’t new. In February, he ranted on social media, demanding Canada hand over half-ownership of the project. Never mind that Canada paid for the whole thing. The project was negotiated years ago by former Republican Governor Rick Snyder. Construction started in 2018. It is named after hockey legend Gordie Howe. Now, it is just a political football.
Even the Republicans are playing this game. Mike Rogers, the likely GOP nominee who lost a tight race to Elissa Slotkin in 2024, is also promising to open the bridge if elected. Everyone wants the credit. Nobody wants the blame. With six weeks left before the primary, the race is wide open. Voters are finally paying attention. Whether McMorrow’s bridge-burning tactics will carry her to Washington remains to be seen. But in Michigan, the toll is already getting expensive.
