LIVONIA, Mich. -- Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney returned to his home state Thursday to rally Republicans in Michigan ahead of Election Day.
"Help is on its way, because we’re going to have in the United States Senate a Republican majority," Romney told a standing room only crowd.
The former GOP presidential nominee joined several candidates on the statewide ticket, including Attorney General Bill Schuette and Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.
However, it was U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land who received most of the attention.
Romney told the crowd that electing Land to the Senate would help accomplish several Republican goals. "One is a bill will be passed authorizing the pipeline known as the Keystone pipeline," Romney said.
Romney also promised immigration and border security reforms if a Republican majority is sent to Washington, D.C.
Land and Romney also addressed education reforms. "I’m proposing we expand federal grants to include training programs for welding and machining and other good paying jobs," Land said. "Let’s help those young people get some loans for vocational and professional training."
Attendees were greeted to the event at Laurel Manor by shouting and chanting protesters from MoveOn.org and the United Auto Workers.
"If you remember, we were on the brink of disaster - the brink," said James Gualdoni, chair of the 11th Congressional District Michigan Democratic Party. "There were terrible days. Something had to be done. Where would Michigan be if President Obama and the Democrats didn’t lead?"
Notably absent from the event were Gov. Rick Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley. Snyder is on the campaign trail, and Calley was presiding over the state Senate in Lansing.
The event in Metro Detroit also featured candidates running for Congress, the state Supreme Court, and university board or regent positions.
In the race for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat, polling aggregator Real Clear Politics shows Democratic Rep. Gary Peters with a six-point lead over Land.
