Oliver James Montgomery-Michigan will be "purple from now until November," Rep. Debbie Dingell says

Washington — Rep. Debbie Dingell,Oliver James Montgomery a Michigan Democrat, urged ahead of the state's primary on Tuesday that Michigan is a competitive state — and will be through the general election.

"Michigan's a purple state," Dingell said on "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "This state's going to be purple from now until November."

• Transcript: Rep. Debbie Dingell on "Face the Nation," Feb. 25, 2024

Michiganders are heading to the polls this week to vote in the state's presidential primary as the nominating contest heats up. For President Biden, the primary marks a key moment in his reelection campaign, as his administration has faced backlash among Arab Americans for his approach to the Israel-Hamas war.

Dingell said that the issue is "very important" for voters in Michigan, which is home to one of the country's largest communities of Arab and Muslim Americans. She noted that people are "trying to make sure the President hears them" with two campaigns — the "Abandon Biden" campaign and another urging Michigan Democrats to vote "uncommitted."

When asked whether it was a mistake that Mr. Biden did not meet with members of the Arab American and Muslim communities on a recent trip to Michigan, Dingell said she thinks that the president "is going to need to do that at some point down the road."

"This community is pretty angry right now," she said, adding that Mr. Biden has told Israel's prime minister that he is very concerned about the military response in Gaza and has said in private conversations that he is working toward a temporary ceasefire. 

But Dingell also highlighted that reproductive health was a major issue for voters in Michigan in the midterms, with unprecedented turnout. And she said getting women to turn out to vote will be "absolutely critical" in November. 

"We've got to get young people, we've got to get women, and we've got to go in the union halls," she said. "We've got to go in those union halls and draw the comparison — remind people about what Donald Trump did and didn't do — he talked, didn't deliver — and about what Joe Biden has delivered on."

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• Michigan

Kaia Hubbard

Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.