Elissa Slotkin, Mike Rogers go head-to-head for Stabenow's seat in Michigan's U.S. Senate race
(CBS DETROIT) — Michigan's longtime U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow is stepping down after more than two decades, putting top contenders Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin or former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers at the forefront on Tuesday.
Stabenow, the first woman from Michigan elected to the Senate, announced in January 2023 that she would not seek a fifth term.
Slotkin announced her bid shortly after Stabenow's retirement announcement, becoming the first Democratic candidate to enter the race. Meanwhile, an endorsement from former President Donald Trump helped kick Rogers' campaign into gear nearly 10 years after he left the U.S. House. With the endorsement, he plowed through a crowded Republican field that included former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and former Rep. Peter Meijer, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
In the August primary, Slotkin held a strong lead against actor Hill Harper, while Rogers defeated former Rep Justin Amash and Sherry O'Donnell. Days after the primary election, both candidates were targeted in a swatting incident in Michigan.
The Senate race is crucial for Democrats, who currently hold the majority. Michigan hasn't elected a Republican to the Senate in three decades, making the Slotkin-Rogers showdown one of the most competitive Senate races to watch in this election.
Both candidates sat down with CBS News Detroit days before the election to talk about abortion, China and the auto industry.
The candidates
Slotkin, 48, has been a member of the U.S. House since 2019, representing Michigan's 7th congressional district. Republican Tom Barrett, who ran against Slotkin in 2022, and Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr. are vying for that U.S. House seat.
Slotkin was a former CIA officer who worked in national security-focused posts in both the Bush and Obama administrations and has touted her work across the aisle as a moderate Democrat.
Rogers, 61, served as a state senator before representing Michigan's 8th congressional district from 2001 to 2015 and leading the House Intelligence Committee. Before politics, he served in the U.S. Army and worked as an FBI special agent. He has been in the cybersecurity business for the last eight years. Rogers said he decided to get back into politics after speaking with his family.
In October 2024, the Rogers campaign refuted claims that he did not live where he was registered to vote. Documents obtained by Detroit Free Press showed that the GOP candidate owns property in White Lake Township, where he is registered, but has not lived there yet. A campaign spokesperson told CBS News Detroit that Rogers would have moved in July 2024; however, the move was postponed due to complications with utility hookups delaying the certificate of occupancy. His intent is to move in as soon as it's approved.
Rogers told CBS News Detroit that he bought a home in Florida in 2021 but returned to Michigan in 2023.
Key issues
Slotkin has pushed for a plan to revive a federal law protecting abortion rights. Rogers has said he would not favor a national abortion ban if it came up during his time in the Senate, saying he would uphold the laws enacted in individual states.
In addition to abortion rights, Slotkin has focused on protecting rights and democracy, such as voting, civil rights, women's rights, and LGBTQ rights. The congresswoman, whose district experienced two school shootings — Oxford High School and Michigan State University — is also pushing for federal gun laws. Other areas include bringing critical supply chains and manufacturing to the U.S. and making healthcare affordable for all Americans.
Rogers has been critical of the "EV mandates," and is focused on the economy, securing the border, reducing crime in communities by restoring law and order, and pushing the issue of China.
The Israel-Hamas war has been a hot topic in Michigan, a state that has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation. Support from the community is critical in the state where nearly 100,000 people cast "uncommitted" ballots in February to protest President Joe Biden's handling of the war.
Slotkin has faced criticism for not being harder on Israel, although she has been critical of the country's leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. During a campaign stop in April, pro-Palestinian protestors urged the congresswoman to call for a ceasefire.
When asked about the war, Rogers said the focus should be on helping all hostages.
"I think we should be there as a country and as a community after the ceasefire comes into play. We get those hostages back to help them rebuild, but it can't be with a terrorist group like Hamas in charge. That will never work. They don't want peace, they never wanted peace. We have to start building security and stability for those people and economic opportunity," he said in a one-on-one interview with CBS News Detroit.
