In anticipation of today’s midterm elections, both the University’s chapters of College Democrats and College Republicans took part in political rallies yesterday featuring last minute words from candidates highlighting their visions for the state and encouraging students to turn out at the polls.

The University’s chapter of College Democrats hosted an “Election Eve Rally” at the Michigan Union starting at 11 p.m. last night, which included music and speeches from candidates and their supporters. Earlier in the evening, members of College Republicans rallied at a local Fix Michigan Center, which is a state-wide organization that promotes Republican ideologies and has campaigned for Republican support in the midterm election. Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder spoke at the College Republicans event.

The College Democrats rally featured talks from State Representative Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), who is currently running for state Senate, Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Debbie Dingell, political activist and wife of United States Rep. John Dingell (D–Mich.), who is currently up for re-election. Democratic candidate for the University’s Board of Regents Paul Brown, Democratic candidate for Attorney General David Leyton and Brenda Lawrence, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, also spoke at the rally.

The candidates spoke to an almost full Pendleton Room, livening up the crowd and generating cheers from the audience. Dingell spoke about her anger over polls that are already claiming Democrats will lose a larger number of seats across the country.

“Are you outraged like I am about the polls and how everybody thinks the voting started three months ago and everybody writing off what’s going to happen already?” Dingell asked the crowd. “We cannot let that be the story.”

Dingell argued that Republicans who claim President Barack Obama’s administration has failed to help the ailing economy are ignoring the job growth and economic stimulus that has occurred since he took office, when the nation was in a dire state. She said voters must elect Democrats in order to continue propelling Obama’s agenda forward.

“We’ve just begun,” Dingell added. “Are we going to let (the Republicans) go backwards?”

Dingell lauded the importance of community and unity within the Democratic Party and scoffed at Republicans who have tried to create schisms within the party.

“Community is the strength of democracy,” Dingell said. “One of the things that I dislike the most about this election is the way the Republicans have tried to divide us. It’s not right.”

Warren, the state Senate candidate, highlighted the importance of the student vote and encouraged students to use social networking to encourage friends to vote. She said all efforts leading up to tomorrow have “been a practice round” and tomorrow determines which policies will actually be enacted.

“What we do now sets the course for the next decade,” Warren said. “We need a Democrat in the governor’s mansion. We need Congressman John Dingell back in Congress.”

Chair of College Democrats Brendan Campbell said the group’s intention in planning the event was to generate excitement and give students more information about the candidates before they went to vote.

“We thought there’s no better way for students to get excited about voting — and voting for Democrats — than bringing in these candidates onto campus,” Campbell said.

Democratic contenders in this year’s election view student voters as a crucial part in winning their seats, Campbell said, and look at campus events as opportunities to show student voters why they are important to the state and how the Democratic Party aims to serve them.

“They know that students are the key for Democrats to win tomorrow,” Campbell said.