Mike Rogers and Elissa Slotkin talk economy, electric vehicles in first Senate debate

With the presidential election less than a month away, all eyes are on Michigan — one of seven swing states expected to decide the control of the White House in November. Down ballot, another crucial race is happening in the state: the fight for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. Democratic candidate Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Republican candidate former Rep. Mike Rogers faced off Tuesday evening at the WOOD-TV8 station in Grand Rapids. The candidates answered questions about the issues that matter most to voters: high prices for everyday goods, escalating tensions in the Middle East and manufacturing jobs in the state.

The retirement of Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., left the seat open, and the ensuing contest between Slotkin and Rogers is now one of several Senate races across the country expected to determine control of the chamber. Stabenow held the seat for more than 20 years and is now retiring after her fourth term in the Senate. 

Slotkin, first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 after working for the CIA and the National Security Council, is running on a platform of expanding the middle class and bringing jobs to Michigan. In her opening statement, Slotkin said both candidates’ histories in politics show voters where they actually stand on key issues.

“There are some real differences between me and my opponent, but the good news is we both have records,” Slotkin said. “I have five years in the U.S. Congress. Mr. Rogers had 20 years as an elected politician, so you’ll be able to see very clearly, not just what we say we’re going to do but what we’ve actually done. I think it’s important, because we have big differences on the middle class, on (lowering) costs and on a whole bunch of other issues.”

Rogers, an army veteran and former congressman, has focused his campaign on lowering costs, implementing stricter immigration policies and combating crime. In his opening statement, Rogers said he was running for Congress to help all Michiganers. 

“People, our families, are hurting in Michigan,” Rogers said. “They can’t afford gas. They can’t afford their electric bill. We have folks that are going to food pantries at the end of the month. We don’t have to do it that way. The border, gas, EV mandates, we should talk about all of this this evening.”

Michigan has not had a Republican senator in 23 years, something Rogers hopes to change come November. According to recent polls, Slotkin currently holds a 3.3% lead over Rogers.

The first question of the debate touched on mounting tensions in the Middle East. Both candidates expressed their belief that Israel has the right to defend itself. Following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 of last year, more than 250 people were taken hostage. Now, one year later, 101 hostages remain in Gaza, including four American citizens. Rogers said he supports a cease-fire deal that would free the remaining hostages as soon as possible.

“I think one of the problems is people have been trying to be on both sides of this issue,” Rogers said. “We could have a cease-fire tomorrow if Hamas would give up the hostages. We have four Americans still there. Those Americans should be brought home.”

Slotkin acknowledged the large Jewish and Arab American populations in Michigan and expressed her desire for a cease-fire deal. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the resulting Israeli military campaign in Gaza, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Slotkin said she believes although Israel has a right to self-defense, civilian casualties need to be addressed.

“It’s very personal here in Michigan, where people of all stripes have real personal connections to the region,” Slotkin said. “For me, it’s clear we need a cease-fire deal that brings the hostages home. Israel has the right to defend itself when people come and kill their citizens, rape women, shoot ballistic missiles at them — that is something that any country in the world has the right to do. But, we can also say that we don’t like seeing loss of life among civilians.”

The candidates also discussed EV manufacturing, a contentious issue for Michigan voters given the state’s large auto manufacturing sector. Slotkin has come under fire from Republicans who have tied her to President Joe Biden’s emission standards that would require two-thirds of cars on the road to be electric by 2032. She said she has no intention of mandating EVs.

“Look, I don’t care what kind of car you want to drive,” Slotkin said. “I don’t care if it’s a gas-powered car or an EV. I live on a dirt road. I can’t have an EV for the foreseeable future. What I do care about is who is going to build the next generation of vehicles, right? Literally, it’s either going to be us or China.”

Rogers said he is most concerned about bringing manufacturing jobs back to Michigan and away from Chinese manufacturing.

“Why on God’s green earth we would send that auto market to the Communist Party of China is beyond me,” Rogers said. “My opponent has multiple times supported EV mandates trying to pick the cars that our companies have to build and the cars that you’re going to have to buy.”

Rogers also repeated Republican claims that Slotkin signed a nondisclosure agreement regarding a planned EV battery plant to be built in Michigan by Chinese company Gotion High-Tech. Slotkin said she had no role in planning the plant and never signed a nondisclosure agreement.

“I have never signed an NDA with any Chinese government, Chinese entity (or) Chinese company,” Slotkin said. “I found out about that plan when it was in the paper. He repeats it. It is a lie.”

In 2022, Michigan voters passed Proposal 3, known as Reproductive Freedom for All, enshrining the right to abortion in the Michigan Constitution. During Tuesday’s debate, Rogers said he thinks decisions about abortion restrictions should be left to the states, and he plans to do nothing to reverse the decision of Michigan voters.

“I think this is the most heart-wrenching (of) a decision a woman will ever have to make,” Rogers said. “I think those decisions are best made where her doctor is, where her family is, where her faith is. … The people of Michigan voted overwhelmingly to make abortion legal and a part of the state constitution of Michigan. I will do nothing when I go back to Washington, D.C. to do anything that would change what the Michigan Constitution, voted on by the people of Michigan, have given us that guidance to go back.”

Slotkin called out Rogers’ anti-abortion record while he was in Congress, warning voters that his historical positions show his true stance on the issue.

“Every single time he was casting one of those votes, he was saying something very particular. He was saying to women, he does not trust you to make your own decisions about your own family planning. Every single time. When it comes to our rights and protecting ourselves, I think it is important that we have someone on the scene who does that.”

When talking to reporters after the debate, Rogers clarified the status of his Michigan residence. Rogers has recently come under fire following reporting from The Detroit Free Press that his home in White Lake Township, where he is registered to vote and voted in the August primaries, is currently unoccupied and under construction.

“The only people that are asking questions is the press,” Rogers said. “The people that I talk to are worried about their grocery prices, their gas prices, the cost of electricity. I have a home. Matter of fact, I am the only candidate in the race who has purchased a home with my own money in the district.”

Slotkin emphasized her bipartisan record in Congress to reporters present. Slotkin was ranked as one of the 15 most bipartisan members of Congress by The Lugar Center-McCourt School Bipartisan Index.

“You don’t take an issue and say, ‘Well, is it Democrat or Republican?’” Slotkin said. “You literally look at the facts — very coldly, very objectively — and you make decisions based on the facts, what’s in the best interest of the nation and of the country. And I try to bring that same approach into being a member of Congress. It’s why I’m one of the most bipartisan members of Congress.”

Daily News Editor Mary Corey can be reached at mcorey@umich.edu.

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