ALPENA- Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox visited Alpena Tuesday and Wednesday to rally voters for Republican candidates. She said recent polls don't paint an accurate picture of how close the presidential race in Michigan is between President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden.

ALPENA — Energized, motivated, and excited.

Those are a few words Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox used to describe Republican voters in Michigan and for its candidates.

Cox was in Alpena Tuesday and Wednesday to rally local support for G.O.P. candidates from local races to the presidency.

Cox said despite many polls that show President Donald Trump trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden, internal data and observations from campaign volunteers indicate the polls are much closer than being reported for Trump, U.S. Senate candidate John James and Congressman Jack Bergman.

James is squaring off against Democrat incumbent Gary Peters, while Bergman seeks to earn a third term by defeating Democrat Dana Ferguson.

“There is a huge gap between the enthusiasm between the president and John James and the lack of enthusiasm for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Gary Peters,” Cox said. “I believe voters are going to vote based on how their lives are affected. We have to talk to them, remind them, and educate them on the things the president has put into policy and how their lives have been positively impacted, and contrast that with the opponent, who wants to tax 82% of Americans, pass a Green New Deal, which would decimate Michigan’s economy.”

Cox, who is a former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, said she believes there will be a shift in voting patterns in America on Nov. 3. She said some data shows that there are more minorities who typically vote Democrat, could vote Republican this time around. Cox said policies and investments Trump has made have helped minorities and their communities.

“The bottom line is, he has had historic unemployment for women and minorities, such as African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics, and his policies work. I know these groups are now paying attention,” Cox said. “He has put America first, put people to work, and he fights for fair trade to make sure American jobs stay in America. He is the American worker, American man and woman’s president and he will continue to do that and be that.”

Cox said the riots that have stemmed from protests around the nation have also lifted the eyebrows of voters, as has cancel culture, which has led to the removal or destruction of many statues and monuments around the country.

She said the drastic shift to the left in the Democratic Party, may cause many voters who support them to shift to voting Republican.

“It is becoming a very extreme left party and people are beginning to understand the removal, or erasing of history instead of learning from it, is not the right approach,” Cox said. “Seeing riots where people are throwing rocks and bricks at businesses and calling for defunding the police is not providing a safe community, and when you have a party buying into defunding the police it is absolutely wrong. People need to know this isn’t just talk from the Democrats, they mean it and are doing it already.”