Michigan Senate debate highlights key issues between El‑Sayed and Rogers

Thursday’s hour‑long debate in Michigan’s Senate race was a microcosm of the toss‑up race, with less than a month before the November 3 midterm elections. Democratic nominee Abdul El‑Sayed, former health director for Wayne County, and Republican Mike Rogers, former U.S. House member, faced off onstage under host Rick Albin. The candidates exchanged pointed barbs, with El‑Sayed painting Rogers as a yacht‑owning millionaire out of touch with ordinary voters, and Rogers accusing El‑Sayed of being soft on terrorism and having foreign sympathies.

El‑Sayed responded to Rogers’ accusations by condemning a March attack on a synagogue and arguing that high gasoline prices and inflation were caused by the Iran war, blaming the Trump administration for Iran’s decision to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Rogers countered that the war should end, and that Iran’s uranium enrichment program had been set back twenty years. Both candidates found common ground on the U.S.–Israeli war and its impact on domestic concerns such as education and healthcare.

The debate also covered the U.S. alliance with Israel, with El‑Sayed calling for ending aid to Israel and focusing on domestic priorities, while Rogers supported aid for Israel and defended the country’s right to defend itself. Host Rick Albin kept the debate on track, urging the candidates to work together on the questions at hand. The exchange of ideas and accusations underscored the tense nature of the race and the importance of the Senate seat for Michigan’s future.

Read the full story at aljazeera.com.