Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers used their final Michigan Senate debate Wednesday to revisit personal attacks while arguing over taxes, manufacturing, immigration, health care, tariffs and the war with Iran. The hourlong meeting in Southfield was less chaotic than their Oct. 8 debate, when the candidates traded insults and continued arguing during a commercial break, but both returned repeatedly to their central criticisms.
Rogers opened by highlighting manufacturing job losses, utility costs and high auto-insurance rates. He accused El-Sayed of wanting to raise taxes and portrayed the Democrat’s progressive policies as too extreme for Michigan. El-Sayed promised to reduce living costs and accused Rogers of standing closely with President Donald Trump. After Rogers criticized his positions, El-Sayed joked that viewers could play “MAGA bingo”; Rogers replied that the game should count how often El-Sayed mentioned Trump.
The sharpest exchange concerned El-Sayed’s Egyptian American background and Muslim faith. Rogers again tried to connect him to the Muslim Brotherhood and asked whether he supported America or “terrorist groups overseas.” El-Sayed denied any affiliation with the organization and called the questioning of his constitutional commitment shameful. He said he was proud to be American and of the Constitution’s protection for religious freedom. Available reporting has found no evidence that El-Sayed belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The candidates also diverged over Trump’s policies. Rogers called tariffs a mixed bag, questioned tariffs on Canada because of the countries’ intertwined auto industries, praised the administration’s border enforcement and said the Iran war should end. El-Sayed blamed the conflict for higher gas and grocery prices and accused Rogers of failing to challenge the president. On immigration, Rogers said some earlier enforcement operations were inappropriate but defended targeting undocumented immigrants convicted of violent crimes. El-Sayed said violent offenders should be deported but argued enforcement must respect the Constitution.
The contest is one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races and could affect party control of the chamber. El-Sayed would become the first Muslim senator if elected, while Rogers is a former congressman seeking a Republican pickup in a state where Jewish and Arab American voters have been sharply divided by debates over Israel, Gaza and political identity.