Republicans Press Into Detroit in Fight for Michigan Senate Seat

Republicans Press Into Detroit in Fight for Michigan Senate Seat

Rogers opens Detroit office and bets big on Black voters

Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former congressman running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, has made Black voters in Detroit the center of his closing push against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. His campaign opened a storefront office on Livernois Avenue in Detroit and is running education-focused appeals. A Trump-aligned super PAC began airing $1.4 million worth of ads in Detroit featuring Black voters who describe themselves as lifelong Democrats voting for Rogers. President Donald Trump also addressed Black voters in Michigan at rallies this week.

El-Sayed mocks the outreach as empty of economic answers

El-Sayed has mocked Rogers' Detroit office, saying Rogers brought friends from the suburbs to applaud him, and arguing that Rogers offers no message for people struggling to make ends meet. El-Sayed says economic strain falls hardest on Black families and has used campaign stops to tell his family story while pushing back against attacks on his name and faith. Trump has called him "Mohammed Abdul El-Sayed," belittled his name, and falsely accused him of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

A bitter August primary left a rift among Democrats

Democrats' unease traces to the August primary, which El-Sayed won by just 1 percentage point against Rep. Haley Stevens. In Wayne County, home to Detroit, Stevens beat El-Sayed by about 51% to 45%. Detroit, where more than three-quarters of residents are Black, is pivotal to any Democratic statewide win. The Rev. Charles Williams II of Historic King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit said it takes only a sliver of Detroit or Flint staying home to put the Democratic candidate in serious trouble.

Polls show El-Sayed ahead but turnout is the worry

A Glengariff/Detroit News poll cited by Michigan Public put El-Sayed at 88% among likely Black voters, with Rogers at 4%. Democratic leaders say the risk is not only persuasion but turnout. Former President Barack Obama rallied for El-Sayed in Detroit on Oct. 24, on the first day of Michigan's required early in-person voting period, joined by gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson. Former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned with El-Sayed in Detroit on September 22 at a roundtable on Black maternal health.

Republicans are chasing the 19,000-vote math from 2024

Republicans point to 2024, when Rogers narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. Slotkin won about 2.7 million votes, with about 8% coming from Detroit. She won 88% of votes cast in the city, while Rogers took 7%, and the statewide margin was 19,000 votes. Rogers allies argue that doubling his Detroit haul could erase that gap. Democratic consultant Morrow said he would be surprised if Rogers wins more than 10% or 12% of the Black vote on Nov. 3, while adding that some Black voters feel taken for granted by Democrats. The election is on Nov. 3, and turnout in Detroit and Wayne County is expected to decide the seat.

Reader question: what convinces you when a candidate courts your vote

When a candidate from a party you do not usually support talks about issues that affect your daily life, what makes you take that outreach seriously? Can you recall a time when a specific policy changed how you voted?