Kathleen Gray

Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

The last time he came to Michigan, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was on his way to a slim victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the state's presidential primary election.

But seven months later, he'll return to campaign for Clinton on Thursday in Dearborn, Ann Arbor, East Lansing and Grand Rapids.

His 49-48% win over Clinton in the March 8 presidential primary was at odds with polls leading up to the election that showed Clinton with a lead ranging from 13 to 37 percentage points over Sanders. But pollsters underestimated the enthusiasm for Sanders, especially among young voters.

And those are the voters that Clinton still is struggling to attract to her campaign. The Sanders visit, which includes stops at the Museum of Art at University of Michigan, 525 S. State in Ann Arbor at 1 p.m., Adams Field at Michigan State University at 3:45 p.m. and Central High School, 421 Fountain St. NE in Grand Rapids at 6:45 p.m., is partially geared toward encouraging those young voters to vote Nov. 8 for Clinton.

He also plans a 10:30 a.m. stop at UAW Local 600, 20550 Dix Ave. in Dearborn to rally union workers who have responded to his message bashing trade deals that have sent manufacturing jobs overseas. The doors to each of the events open one hour before the event. For more information, go to www.hillaryclinton.com/events.

Clinton hasn't been in Michigan since Aug. 11 when she gave a speech on jobs and the economy in Warren. But she has sent a flock of surrogates to speak on her behalf in recent weeks, including her husband, former President Bill Clinton, her daughter Chelsea Clinton, vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine and his wife Anne Holton and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who was a Democratic candidate for president until dropping out after the Iowa caucuses.

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Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been back to Michigan five times since the Republican National Convention, including a rally in Novi last week, in his quest to win over blue-collar workers who are responding to his anti-trade message.

His running mate Mike Pence will be back in the state on Oct. 17 for the annual Macomb County Lincoln Day dinner in Shelby Township. Tickets for the fund-raising event at the Palazzo Grande Banquet and Event Center are $60 each and available through the party's website at www.macombgop.com

Contact Kathleen Gray: kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal