Donald Trump,Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, left, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016 file photos.

(AP)

With less than 70 days left until the November presidential election, a state that's gone Democratic since 1988 has remained in the national conversation thanks to continued attention from presidential candidates and their surrogates.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and their respective vice presidential picks, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Virginia U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, have all visited Michigan at least once since the official party nominations.

Trump made his third appearance, since clinching the nomination, in Michigan Saturday, Sept. 3, where he vistied a Detroit church and gave an interview with Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of the Impact Network as part of his outreach to African American voters. His last Michigan appearance was at an Aug. 19 rally in Dimondale.

Clinton was last in Michigan Aug. 11, where she discussed her economic plan in a Warren manufacturing plant. That trip was her only personal appearance in Michigan since her nomination, but the campaign has been active in beefing up campaign staff and offices throughout the state.

Even third party candidates Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are getting in on the Michigan action -- Stein, of the Green Party, spoke at a Sept. 3 campaign rally in Detroit, while Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, will address the Detroit Economic Club Sept. 14.

Dave Waymire, a partner with public relations firm Martin Waymire, said the two major party presidential candidates' activity in Michigan is indicative of their vastly differing campaign strategies.

Every time Trump comes to Michigan, he keeps his base engaged and helps drum up enthusiasm in a state the campaign has determined a is a potential pickup for Republicans, Waymire said. By contrast, Clinton's campaign has spent more time organizing at the grassroots level and relies less on her presence to encourage support, he continued.

"Her campaign in Michigan is more about the ground game, not her personality," Waymire said. "His is vice versa - it's all about his personality."

At this point in the election, Waymire said it will come down to which strategy will lead to voter turnout from the candidates' support base come Election Day.

The Real Clear Politics polling average for the Michigan presidential election shows Clinton ahead in the state by 8.6 points, although a recent survey from Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation Project found Trump and Clinton running nearly even in Michigan.

Former Michigan Republican Party chair Saul Anuzis said Michigan is a "purple state that can go red under the right circumstances."

Trump's strategy thus far has catered to his strengths, relying heavily on personal appearances and earned media to get his message out there, Anuzis said.

Whether that strategy is successful depends on whether he can keep the electorate motivated, but if Trump succeeds in breaking Michigan out of the "blue wall" of likely Democratic electoral votes, the state could be a key player in the election, Anuzis said.

"Both Democrats and Republicans and their surrogates keep coming back here -- in the political landscape that we're in, Michigan could be in play big," Anuzis said.

Matt Resch, president of Resch Strategies in Lansing, said the attention in Michigan is likely due to the fact that Trump believes he has something in the state.

Although there are many voters in Michigan that feel disaffected and distrustful in the government -- the types of voters Trump is looking to attract -- the Clinton campaign's Michigan activity shows the extensive experience she has in campaign planning.

"They know where their voters are, and they know what states they need to turn out," Resch said. "The ground game is critically important, because no one can win elections on TV commercials alone."

For Trump supporters, Resch said the Trump campaign's recent efforts in Michigan to bolster campaign staff is "better late than never," but also noted that Trump has tapped into voter sentiments that many political professionals are still trying to better understand and shouldn't be underestimated.