News Photo by Julie Riddle Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks to listeners at the Nucleus Lounge in Alpena on Wednesday.

ALPENA — Rural Up North residents deserve the notice of downstate politicians, said Michigan’s highest-ranked law enforcement officer during a visit to Alpena on Wednesday.

Attorney General Dana Nessel, at an Alpena County Democratic Party-hosted event, told several dozen guests about some of her office’s efforts to protect the vulnerable, take down high-level offenders, and get people back on their feet after a run-in with the law.

Alpena resident Marie Fielder, running for State Representative for the 106th District, introduced the AG to the audience of about 40.

Nessel endorsed Fielder for state rep during Wednesday’s event, held at the Nucleus Lounge in downtown Alpena.

In a post-event conversation with The News, Nessel said the struggles faced by rural counties lacking adequate funding or proximity to resources hamper those counties’ efforts to better the lives of struggling residents.

Rural, northern communities, though they may not make statewide news headlines regularly, must stay on the minds of those making decisions in the state’s capital, Nessel said.

“If we’re not thinking about you,” she said, “then we’re really not doing much to help you.”

Before Nessel’s arrival, Fielder spoke about some of the pressing needs she sees in northern Michigan, from affordable housing to safety in schools to broadband access.

Many of those concerns should be bipartisan issues, Nessel said.

In an energetic presentation, she invited questions about the aspects of the AGs office that impact Alpena-area residents specifically.

Whether local school board members, county commissioners, or state officials, nobody who works for a government should have to endure threats, Nessel said, promising to continue filing criminal charges against those who threaten election workers and the electoral process.

Noting the aging population of Northeast Michigan, she described the work of the AG office’s Elder Abuse Task Force, including its fight against scams and identity thefts.

An audience member described encountering men carrying assault-style rifles during a recent Alpena march supporting gun safety laws, asking Nessel about the legality of carrying such weapons in public.

Michigan allows open-carry of guns, as long as the carrier does not brandish the weapon, Nessel said. She expressed support for some gun-related legislation, including bills that would require the securing of guns around small children, limit the amount of ammunition that could be purchased at one time, and allow concerned family members to ask a court to take guns away from someone struggling with severe mental illness.

In rural areas, residents can struggle for stability under the weight of low-level criminal records or because of a lost driver’s license. Initiatives of the AG’s office help eligible people expunge their criminal records, get licenses back, and get jobs instead of jail time, Nessel said, pledging to attempt to bring an expungement clinic to Alpena in coming months.

Northeast Michiganders often feel unseen by leaders in Lansing, Fielder said, thanking Nessel for making the trip Up North.

“I’m very excited to have the Attorney General visit to talk about the issues important to Northeast Michiganders,” Fielder told The News. “It’s always good to know that our leaders in Michigan are looking out for everyone, which includes all of us here on the northeast side.”

Nessel, who went unchallenged at the state Democratic convention, will face GOP nominee Matthew DePerno in the November general election.

Fielder, uncontested in the Democratic primary for the 106th state House District seat, will be on the November ballot along with the winner of a three-way race between Republicans Geyer Balog, Cam Cavitt, and Larry Hull in the Aug. 2 primary election.

Hull, in a statement to The News, called the AG’s campaign stop alongside Fielder an early start to her campaign season, made necessary by her “nose-to-nose campaign fight” against DePerno.

“She recognizes she’s vulnerable,” Hull said, adding that he wishes Nessel and Fielder the best.

Referencing a recent comment by Nessel calling for “a drag queen for every school,” Balog in a texted statement called it “appalling that Marie Fielder is aligning herself with such a perverted individual.”

“Such delusional sexual identity politics have absolutely no place in Northeast Michigan schools,” Balog said. “This amorality from the Democrat party is not surprising, unfortunately, as their party has been sliding further and further away from reason and logicality. We must continue to fight this madness.”

Nessel later tweeted that her comment was made in jest.

Citing attention from state officials as a positive for the region, Cavitt expressed concern that Nessel did not visit Alpena to talk about the needs of Northeast Michigan but rather to reinforce what Cavitt called radical ideas held by Fielder.

“Why not security guards in every school?” Cavitt said, referencing Nessel’s controversial comment. “That seems like what the state’s top law enforcement officer should be talking about.”

Nessel will continue her Alpena visit today, visiting with senior citizens, students, and caretakers of other vulnerable populations.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.