Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin faced off Tuesday night against former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in their first debate in the race to fill Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. With long-time Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow retiring there is no incumbent running, and the toss-up race will help determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate next term.
The candidates clashed over electric vehicles, abortion rights and their political loyalties.
Rogers, who served in the House from 2001 to 2015, described Slotkin as a Democrat too aligned with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. “My opponent has voted 100 percent with the Biden-Harris agenda,” he said during the one-hour faceoff hosted by WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.
Slotkin, who’s been in Congress since 2019, invited Republicans disenchanted with the GOP under former President Donald Trump to cross over and vote for her. “For Republicans who feel like their party has left them over the past couple of years,” she said, “you will always have an open door in my office.”
On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Detroit Free Press Politics Editor Emily Lawler and The Detroit News Politics Editor Chad Livengood to debrief last night’s debate and look ahead to where the race stands with less than a month to go before Election Day.
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