Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R) will discuss foreign policy in Tuesday's first debate to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) in the Senate. , clashed over manufacturing and immigration issues.
Mr. Slotkin and Mr. Stabenow ran for office for three terms. approvalis running for the seat in Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Rogers served in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2015 and is running for office with the support of former President Trump.
The race for the Senate seat, which Mr. Stabenow has held for more than two decades, could be key to determining the majority next year. It is one of only three Senate races that Cook Political Report rates as a “close race,” with Hill/Decision Desk's average poll showing Slotkin leading by just 4 points. has been done.
Here are five takeaways from the debate, which aired on The Hill's sister news station WOODTV.
China emerges as a lightning rod
Some of the tense moments of the night came when the candidates sparred with each other over their respective records on China, but the exchanges focused on Beijing's economic influence in Michigan and China's impact on electric vehicles. The (EV) industry arose due to concerns about superiority.
Mr. Slotkin accused Mr. Rogers of being soft on China by claiming that the United States was “ceding ground to China” and grilling Mr. Rogers for opposing two EV factories being built in the Great Lakes state. I tried to draw it.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rogers has repeatedly tried to tie Slotkin to Chinese interests in Michigan, including plans to build a battery parts manufacturing plant in Michigan linked to Beijing. Slotkin refuted the allegations, calling them “offensive.”
The comments come amid concerns in the state about how the transition to electric vehicles will affect the auto industry. The Biden administration has provided General Motors with millions of dollars in federal grants to convert its Lansing plant, which makes internal combustion engine vehicles, into an electric vehicle production plant.
But Republicans have expressed concerns about the transition to EVs. President Trump warned at a recent rally in Michigan that the U.S. cannot compete with China, the world's largest EV maker, and said if the U.S. moves away from traditional car manufacturing, “all China's business will be taken over by the Chinese government.
Tensions in the Middle East draw attention
The conflict between Israel and its neighbors in the Middle East is an early but crucial topic, as escalating violence in the region is expected to play a key role in the state, which has the country's largest Arab-American population. appeared on the stage for debate.
While expressing support for Israel and its right to self-defense, Slotkin also voiced support for the loss of civilian life and cease-fire agreements in Gaza and Lebanon, making a clear appeal to critics of the Biden administration's handling of the conflict. .
Mr. Rogers, on the other hand, sought to grill Mr. Slotkin, accusing him and Iranian Democrats of failing to contain the country and fueling the region's current crisis.
The focus on the Middle East conflict has raised concerns that Democrats are losing support with Arab American and Muslim voters and could ultimately cost Vice President Harris the state's life in November. As the temperature rose, it surfaced.
For Democrats in Michigan, which has more than 200,000 Arab American and Muslim voters, Trump leads his Democratic opponent by 4 points among the group, according to a poll by the Arab American Institute. That's a clear warning sign.
Border, abortion puts candidates on the defensive
Both candidates were on the defensive on several key issues plaguing their respective parties.
Within minutes of the debate, Slotkin turned his answer to an early question from Rogers about FEMA funding for natural disasters like Hurricane Milton into an attack on Democrats' border issues. I was forced to give an answer.
Slotkin acknowledged concerns about the issue, saying “nobody is proud of what's happening at the border” and calling the immigration system “broken.” Pressed by the host about the reported 10 million migrants who have crossed the border since 2021, Slotkin emphasized the integrity of Homeland Security by touting his role at the CIA. However, he stressed that the government needs to do more.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rogers was forced to defend himself over abortion, an issue that has vexed Republicans since the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade. Slotkin insisted he respected Michiganders' decision to amend the state and repeatedly implored viewers not to trust the Republican Party. The state constitution guarantees the right to abortion.
things become personal
Things took a more personal turn midway through the discussion, as Mr. Slotkin and Mr. Rogers quarreled over foreign policy and Congressional records.
After Rogers tried to link Slotkin to China, suspicion Mr. Slotkin disputed that claim, claiming he had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Chinese company, and suggested that the “old Mike Rogers” would not have brought the matter to the table.
“That's a lie. The old Mike Rogers of 2014 would have stayed away when it came to national security, but the Mike Rogers of 2024 seems happy to do so. That's a shame.” said Slotkin.
And after both candidates sparred over tensions in the Middle East, Rogers said, “I think the opposition that they're serving in some capacity in Iraq excuses the whole approach to Iran from being wrong.'' I broke the idea. Slotkin served as a CIA analyst and traveled to Iraq three times with the U.S. military.
Mr. Slotkin then lashed out at Mr. Rogers over his residency, which has been under scrutiny throughout his Senate campaign. Rogers, who represented the state's 8th Congressional District for more than a decade, reportedly moved to florida After leaving the Capitol, he registered to vote there. Democrats have tried to accuse Mr. Rogers of carpet-bagging, and Mr. Rogers' campaign earlier this year issued a cease-and-desist order over a Slotkin ad repeating that criticism.
“I was here in Michigan and I voted yes on Proposition 3,” Slotkin said, referring to the reproductive rights initiatives that Michiganders approved during the midterm elections. “You were in Florida. You voted in Florida. You weren't here.”
Slotkin leans toward bipartisanship
After emphasizing bipartisanship as a pillar of his campaign on behalf of purple states, Slotkin ended the hour-long debate with a cross-aisle appeal.
“Just like my father, let me make a special appeal to all the Republicans watching today: Republicans who feel that their party has drifted away from them in recent years. for,” Slotkin said. “The door to my office is always open. I want to hear what you have to say, so please come and have a seat at the table.”
The Democrat described himself to Republican voters as “someone who actually talks bad about you, and who doesn't want to be as polite and courteous as we used to be to Democrats and Republicans.” He pitched himself as a person who is passionate about accomplishing things.
Throughout the debate, Slotkin touted her bipartisanship, but her Republican rivals sought to link her to the Biden-Harris administration. But notably, the repeated references to the White House and several questions about Trump and Harris' proposals stood out as the only references to the front-runner's presidential campaign.
“You can be bipartisan in an election year,” Rogers said, accusing Slotkin of voting “100% for the Biden vs. Slotkin agenda.”
She countered that Mr. Rogers was “literally the whip of the party, the guy who got everyone to vote Republican.” Rogers is appointed As a freshman in the House of Representatives in 2001, he served as deputy whip.
slotkin is ranked Ranked 14th among House members in 2023 on the Lugar Center and Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy's Bipartisan Index, a tool that measures how much influence members of Congress have on legislation across party lines. He became a bipartisan member of Congress.
Democrats are increasing pressure to work across the aisle, emphasizing that Michigan, a key state in the race for control of Congress and a key battleground in the presidential race, is “very purple.”
