Areas of Democratic strength include the cities of Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon, as well as many of those cities' inner ring suburbs (all major urban centers).

Long known as the automobile capital of the world, Detroit is also famous for its distinctive Motown music sound from the 1960s. Detroit is home to a rich mix of people from various ethnic backgrounds, including citizens of Italian, English, German, Polish, Irish, Mexican, Middle Eastern, African, and Greek descent.