The delayed opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Michigan and Canada has spilled into one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races. Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow launched 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. The ad builds on an anti-corruption message that McMorrow 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 ad ties the delay to Trump donor Matthew Moroun. The Moroun family owns the competing Ambassador Bridge, which also connects Detroit and Windsor, and has long opposed the completion of the Gordie Howe span. The Gordie Howe International Bridge has been under construction for years and is intended to relieve congestion on the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest commercial land border crossing between the U.S. and Canada.
McMorrow, a state senator, is running in a competitive Democratic primary for the seat of retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, though the AP report does not name Stabenow. The general election is expected to be one of the most expensive and closely watched Senate races in the country, with control of the chamber at stake. The ad represents the first major attempt by a candidate in the race to make the bridge delay a political weapon, framing it as an example of corruption by the Trump administration.