NEGAUNEE -- State representative Gary McDowell began his campaign for Congress lagging behind his Republican opponent, Dan Benishek.
But that's all changed in the last few weeks.
Recent polls show the gap between them closing. Benishek, in the latest polls, leads McDowell by only 2%.
So why the sudden change? McDowell says it's because people are learning of his opponents extremism.
"He was running in the primary with the tea party faction," said McDowell. "He beat an established Republican candidate who's somebody who's willing to cooperate and work together."
Last weekend, McDowell planned to close that 2% gap by knocking on voters' doors.
"I want to meet the voters," he said. "I want to talk directly to the voters and that's the way we're going to win this race is one voter at a time, voter to voter, contact to contact."
He reminded people of his ability to cross party lines, something he says his tea party opponent is incapable of.
"You can't get results when you say 'I will not work with anybody because you're absolutely assuming, that you'll have a dysfunctional government that cannot resolve anything," said McDowell. "I want to be the person who brings people together, that's why my logo is a bridge, because a bridge connects people.
He says connecting people is the key to creating jobs. He wants to invest in his district's agriculture and mining and keep business local.
"We really need to look at those trade policies," he said. "Monetary policies that encourage corporations to move their jobs off shore and we have to say no, I want to see things built in the United States but especially right here in Michigan.
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