With 125 delegates at stake, Michigan is the largest prize of the six states holding nominating contests Tuesday.

Biden is seeking to build on his momentum in those states coming off his surprisingly strong showing on Super Tuesday. Sanders sees Michigan — a state he narrowly won over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic nominating contest — as an opportunity to regain his footing.

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In a statement, Whitmer, a first-term governor, cited Biden’s work with President Barack Obama to expand health-care coverage and to rescue Detroit automakers.

“He showed up for the people of Michigan when our health care and our auto industry were on the line,” Whitmer said. “He helped us pick ourselves up and get back to work. I know he’ll do the same as president.”

Biden also announced Thursday that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), one of his former rivals for the presidential nomination, will hold campaign events on his behalf in Michigan on Friday and Saturday. Klobuchar endorsed Biden earlier this week upon exiting the race.

In the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial primary, Sanders endorsed one of Whitmer’s opponents, Abdul El-Sayed, a former city health director for Detroit.

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Whitmer’s support comes as Biden continues to pick up new endorsements in the wake of his Super Tuesday successes. Others to offer their backing Thursday included Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.), a former supporter of former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg; and Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), one of the House managers during President Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

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In the Michigan race, Sanders is seeking to use Biden’s pro-trade record against him in a state that has been hit hard by manufacturing losses.

But in a television interview broadcast Thursday, Biden said he welcomed the debate with Sanders over their records.

“My record has been so thoroughly investigated. You guys rightly looked at it, every vote I’ve ever taken,” Biden said on NBC’s “Today” show. “Now let’s go to Michigan, Bernie. Let’s see if that’s true. I’m the guy that helped bail out the automobile industry. What did you do, old buddy?”

Biden also signaled that he plans to step up his focus on Sanders’s record on gun control.