MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Campaigns have already begun for the November election, and one campaign brought a couple of big names to Marquette from Washington D.C.
First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff brought their ‘Women for Biden and Harris’ campaign to the Ore Dock Brewing Company on Thursday afternoon.
The duo followed locally elected leaders, such as Marquette Commissioner Dana Lalonde and State Representative Jenn Hill. The speeches were heavily focused on issues such as reproductive rights, equal pay and employment, and voting.
Dr. Biden spoke to a crowd about the importance of getting to the polls in the upcoming election.
“And when our bodies are on the line, when our daughters futures are at stake, when our country and its freedoms hang in the balance, we women are immovable and unstoppable,” she said.
Ore Dock Brewing Company co-founder Andi Pernsteiner gave a speech directly before Dr. Biden. Her speech spoke touched on topics such as being a woman in a male dominated industry, and the future of women’s rights in the country.
WZMQ caught up with Pernsteiner after the event to find out what it meant to have the First Lady and Second Gentleman at her business in Marquette.
“It means a lot to me that someone at the level of Jill Biden is willing to come to Marquette to speak to women here about all of the important issues that we’re facing,” Pernsteiner said. “I think it says a lot about her initiative and dedication to ensuring that she’s speaking to people that have concerns. I think what’s most important to me is that we continue these conversations and we make sure that the Upper Peninsula, and Michigan, and this whole region has a voice in the nation.”
Pernsteiner said that the plans for the campaign to make a stop at the brewery happened quickly, and that they didn’t know for sure if they’d be hosting the event until earlier in the week. But the quick plans did not deter them from making the space available nor did it stifle her excitement.
“Maybe the most exciting part about having them here was allowing my children to meet and see people that live in the White House,” she said. “That’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and for them it was a really special opportunity.”
The tour will resume over the next few days with stops in Chippewa County with the Bay Mills Indian Community and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and will take a tour of the Soo Locks. They will then head to Midland, and will wrap up in Detroit on Saturday.
