Interviews with Michigan voters on the eve of the midterm elections reflected the state’s political mix. One former Democrat said he was firmly backing Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, while a lifelong Republican planned to vote for Democrat Abdul El-Sayed despite serious policy disagreements.
Marjorie Mehney, who voted for Rogers, said she had been a Democrat “years ago” but would feel “embarrassed to be one today” with candidates such as El-Sayed representing the party.
Still, she noted that El-Sayed had attracted considerable support in her hometown of Petoskey, in Emmet County, where Donald Trump received more than 55% of the vote in 2024.
“The majority are Republican. However, there’s a great deal of signage for Abdul. So it’s very mixed,” Mehney said in downtown Rochester. She added that she had never seen so many campaign signs in front yards.
Asked why she thought support for El-Sayed had grown, Mehney said she had “no idea” and described the enthusiasm in her community as “a bit shocking.”
“They are people I’ve known and never knew that they felt this way that Abdul does,” she said. “It’s a little concerning.”
Mehney predicted El-Sayed would defeat Rogers, but said Michigan voters might regret sending him to the Senate.
Tom Wright said he had voted for El-Sayed even though he disagreed with “60% to 70%” of the candidate’s policy positions.
“I cannot bring myself to vote for a Trump minion under any circumstances,” Wright said of Rogers.
Rogers served in Congress from 2001 to 2015, representing Michigan’s 8th District. He left office before Trump began his first presidential campaign, so he has no congressional voting record on Trump’s legislative agenda from either of the former president’s terms.
Rogers has nevertheless weighed in on several Trump policies. He initially supported the war with Iran and backed giving presidents broad authority to impose reciprocal tariffs, as Trump did.
In the final weeks of the Senate campaign, however, Rogers distanced himself from Trump on both issues. An ad released in late September called for the Iran war to end quickly. Another, in early October, demanded an end to the tariff dispute with Canada.
Wright, who described himself as a lifelong Republican, said those changes had not persuaded him to support Rogers. He argued that the Republican Party had moved “too far toward Trump” and that “Mike Rogers won’t stop it.”
“The litmus test is, are people willing to hold their nose and vote for Abdul because they are so appalled by Trump? Not that they like Abdul or are a progressive,” Wright said.
Wright said he was uneasy with El-Sayed’s positions on Israel and Palestine. He also said El-Sayed had not adequately rejected people and ideas Wright considers divisive.
“A man is judged by the company he keeps and he keeps some pretty bad company,” Wright said. Still, he argued that one senator could accomplish little on his own. If, in six years, he believes the Republican Party has become more reasonable, he said, he could vote for its candidate.
A third voter, Gerald, said he planned to split his ticket, voting for Rogers for Senate and Democrat Jocelyn Benson for governor. He said he was uncomfortable supporting El-Sayed because he had heard the candidate was a “communist.”
Michigan could again prove pivotal in deciding control of Congress. Polls across the state are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters may still cast a ballot if they are in line when polls close.
