A look at Michigan's U.S Senate race

In November, 34 seats in the United States Senate will be up for election. Michigan is among 33 states that have aspiring U.S. Senators on their ballots.

Democratic candidate Elissa Slotkin and Republican candidate Mike Rogers are battling for votes across the state. The race comes after current senator Debbie Stabenow announced she wouldn’t be seeking re-election in January of 2023. 

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“I am proud that my accomplishments have made a difference in people’s lives and created a strong foundation for a healthy and prosperous future for our state,” Stabenow said in her official statement. “When my term ends, I intend to begin a new chapter in my life that includes continuing to serve our State outside of elected office.”

With a month to go in the election, the candidates have continued campaigning across the state, telling voters about themselves and their plans if elected into office. On Oct. 8, the candidates participated in the first official Michigan U.S Senate debate. A follow-up debate on Oct. 14 gave voters more information on the candidates' policy plans and how they plan to benefit the state of Michigan.

Topics included the economy, electric vehicles and the auto industry, and the war in the Middle East. 

Some topics the candidates agreed on, such as providing funds to Israel and protecting abortion rights in Michigan. Other issues they differed on, like how to handle gun violence.

Central Michigan Life sent interview requests and questionnaires to both Senate candidates. Rogers' campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment. As such, answers to these questions come from other documented sources such as the two debates, his campaign website and other official interviews.

Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Elissa Slotkin, 48

Current employment: U.S. Representative, MI-07 

Previous employment history/political experience: 

• Central Intelligence Agency Analyst
• Senior Assistant to the Director of National Intelligence
• White House National Security Council, Director for Iraq for President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama
• U.S.Department of State, Senior Advisor on Iraq
• Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

Where did you grow up in Michigan? What does being a Michigander mean to you?: I'm a third-generation Michigander, and I grew up on my family farm in Holly. Michigan is a diverse state spanning from urban centers with strong industrial histories, such as Detroit and the largest city I represent, Lansing, to the rural Upper Peninsula and small towns in between. So, for me, being a Michigander is about service, not partisanship -- it's about doing what's right to protect our state and our country. 

Why are you running?: l'm running for Senate because I believe that we need a new generation of leaders that thinks differently, works harder and never forgets the mission of public service. 

But the reason I first decided to run for office was more personal. My mother died of ovarian cancer in 2011. She struggled to afford healthcare for years because of an early case of breast cancer, and at the time, the insurance companies had gouged her for years based on that pre-existing condition. The same month that our family got my mother's terminal diagnosis and was desperately trying to get her life-saving care was the same month that we were also flling out the paperwork for her to declare bankruptcy. 

Protections for people with pre-existing conditions and the exorbitant cost of healthcare and prescription drugs got me into politics and it remains one of my top priorities. In the Senate, I will continue to champion the diverse needs of our great state, from the spirited City of Detroit to the tranquil shores of Lake Michigan, and from the lively college towns of Ann Arbor (and) East Lansing to the storied business hubs of Flint (and) Grand Rapids. 

What would be your top three priorities if elected?: My overarching priority is to make it easier for Michiganders to get into and stay in the middle class. I've long said Michigan is the state that invented the middle class; it did so by maintaining a strong union presence and making investments in small businesses and critical manufacturing areas, which I hope to reinforce.

(Second,) keeping prices affordable. ... In the House, I've spearheaded legislation to cap costs of insulin and to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, and am deeply committed to putting every American on the path to homeownership. I believe that we need to make more critical items in America so that we are in control of our own economic security … so I'm committed to bringing critical manufacturing back to the United States

(Third,) we have to protect our kids from the things that are truly harming them -- not books, not Black history, but instead the number one killer of people under age 21: gun violence. Other things that are truly harming our kids are diseases of despair, mental health issues, opioid addiction and fentanyl, and climate change. 

What issues in Michigan are you hoping to advocate for at the federal level?: 

• Protecting and expanding Michigan’s middle class
• Bring manufacturing back to America and the state’s auto industry
• Protect Michigan kids from gun violence and drug problems

How would you handle the issues surrounding abortion and a woman's right to choose?: We need to codify the Roe standard into federal law. The biggest mistake we can make is thinking that overturning Roe was the end. It was only the beginning. 

In Congress, I have defended a woman's right to have a family when and how she chooses, including working to protect access to contraception and IVF, and blocking Republican attempts to limit access to reproductive care among our servicemembers. It's why I am proud to have earned the endorsement of groups like Planned Parenthood. 

In the U.S.Senate, you won't have to guess where I stand. I will defend a woman's right to have a family when and how she chooses. These decisions belong to families and their doctors, not elected officials who care more about their elections than the lives of women. 

You've talked about wanting to bring manufacturing back to America, especially in the auto industry in Michigan. What are ways you would work to bring manufacturing back to the U.S?: I pushed leaders in both parties to pass the CHIPS Act into law, to manufacture microchips in the U.S. and protect Michigan's auto industry. I championed bills like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rebuild our roads, bridges, and water infrastructure while creating tens of thousands of good-paying, union jobs across Michigan. I co-led a Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force to identify vulnerabilities in our defense supply chains and bring more defense manufacturing back to the U.S …

In the U.S.Senate, I will work every day to bring critical supply chains and manufacturing back home. 

You've talked about gun rights before, and that you respect the right to own guns but believe they should be kept out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. What would you do to ensure this happens or to prevent them from ending up in the wrong hands?: 

I'm the first Member of Congress to have two mass school shootings in my district -- Michigan State University and Oxford High School. But it's not just mass school shootings, it's in our communities, our places of worship, by accident and by suicide. 

I recognize the urgency and impact this issue has on our communities, and common sense gun legislation is the way we'll keep our kids safe. It's why l've led legislation on safe storage of firearms, universal background checks, red flag laws and the assault weapons ban.

What's the most important thing voters should know about you heading into this election?:

My professional background is in national security, working in intelligence and defense. I was recruited into the CIA directly out of graduate school, where I was trained as a Middle East analyst and served three tours alongside our military in Iraq. This bipartisan, country-first approach has informed my work in Congress. … I believe in bipartisanship in my bones: My guiding principle in office has always been to work with people based on how committed they are to serving their constituents, not by party affiliation … and that's the perspective I'll bring to the U.S Senate.

Mike Rogers, 61

Current employment: Retired

Previous employment history/political experience:

• United States Army Lieutenant
• Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent
• Michigan State Senator
• U.S. Representative, MI-08 

Where did you grow up in Michigan? What does being a Michigander mean to you?

According to his campaign website, Rogers grew up in Livingston County, just outside of Detroit. His family has a history of serving in the U.S military, and being “ready to serve” is a large part of his campaign. 

Why are you running?

(From his campaign announcement video)

Michigan’s way of life is worth defending. … I thought I put politics behind me. But like you, I know something’s broken. … (President Joe) Biden’s bad policies making gas and groceries more expensive and homeownership harder. Schools care more about social engineering than, as my father used to say, the three R’s: Readin’ ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic. 

That’s why I’m running for the United States Senate. To get government out of the way. Unleash American innovation and take common sense back to Washington. Michigan’s future is at risk, (but I’ll) get America back on track.

What would be your top three priorities if elected?

According to his website, Rogers’ top three issues are: 

1. The economy
2. Ending the open border crisis
3. Addressing and ending rising crime rates

He spoke in depth on the economy issue in an interview last week with Fox News Radio's Guy Benson, on the Guy Benson Show:

"The issues are absolutely with us: They (citizens) know that the border is broken and wide open and dangerous. They know that despite how many times Democrats say that their grocery bill is gonna be just fine, they can’t afford it. They know that they’re deciding between some extra groceries or gas in the tank.

… We have collectively, for the first time in America, over $1 trillion dollars in credit card debt, which means people are buying groceries at 23% interest. It is not sustainable for the families here in Michigan."

What issues in Michigan are you hoping to advocate for at the federal level?

1. Improving Michigan’s economy
2. Securing the border
3. Addressing crime

Additionally during debates, Rogers spoke about

1. Not allowing electric vehicle mandates to pass in Michigan
2. Improving Michigan education and literacy rates

How would you handle the issue of the open border?

(From an article Rogers wrote for the Daily Caller, published Nov. 13, 2023):

As the former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, I understand the threats to America posed by terrorists and rogue regimes like Iran. If you are an Iranian-backed terrorist trained to do bad things, your goal is to not get caught. 

So it raises the question: how many other terrorists are included in the 1.7 million “gotaways” who crossed our border during the Biden administration? Extrapolating from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data tells us there are a whole lot more bad actors in our nation today as a result of our non-existent southern border.

We don’t know who they are, where they are, or what they are doing in the United States.

We must secure the Southern border immediately and stop anyone from illegally entering our country. … Necessary actions include immediately reinstating the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers, restarting the construction of physical barriers in places that make sense, hiring additional border protection personnel, and utilizing technology to locate illegal crossings. 

The time to secure our wide open southern border is now, because it has quickly become a massive threat to our national security.

You’ve talked about crime rates in Michigan and Oakland County and wanting to lower them. What are the most common issues with crime you’ve seen in Michigan? How would you work to lower crime in the state?

(From an April 6 interview on Fox News' "America Reports"):

We’ve had minors solicited by illegal immigrants not too far from here (Kent County). We’ve had a murder of Ruby Garcia, a horrific murder, right here in Kent County. We’ve had criminal cartel gangs operating in Oakland and Wayne County on the Southeast side of the state for months now, and they’re very organized and they’re doing a lot of damage.

All of that, because of a weak and porous Southern border. … This is their (law enforcement’s) opportunity to talk about real policy changes that will help them protect communities here in Michigan. … The murders don’t have to happen by illegal immigrants. The robberies and home invasions don’t have to happen. … It can change.

You’ve talked a bit about literacy rates and education in Michigan. How would you suggest this be improved?

(From the Oct. 14 debate):

My wife and I have been very engaged in literacy efforts, both here in the state of Michigan and elsewhere around the country. This to me, may be the biggest civil rights issue of our generation. Our kids are not learning how to read. 

In Michigan, 39% of third graders could read at grade level. … If you don’t read in the fourth grade, by the fourth grade, you have a 70% chance of going to prison or being on welfare. 

This is so unacceptable, and here’s the good news: There are such great ways we can get around it. We support reading reclamation programs where they go into the school, they take these kids out an hour a day (and give) intensive tutoring. They do it with the secret sauce, phonics, and get kids reading back at grade level.

The amazing progress we could make if we invest in these reading reclamation programs to get kids reading again would change America.

What’s the most important thing voters should know about you heading into this election?:

(From the Oct. 14 debate):

If you are worried about the next generation of jobs and housing costs for your family, then I ask for your vote. I have done it before, and I will tell you this: I will go back to Washington, D.C, I will work as hard as I can as a guy that worked on an assembly line. A guy that’s the younger of five boys. A guy that served in the United States Army as an officer. A guy that worked the streets and street crime, watching human trafficking at its ugliest, watching drug trafficking at its ugliest.

I will go back to Washington and make that change, (and) I will have your back when it comes Nov. 5.