Michigan Senate race sees $10 gas cards handed out at gas stations

Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers' wife, Kristi, distributed $10 gas vouchers to drivers at a Detroit fuel station in an effort to close the polling gap against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. The campaign tactic emerged as Rogers, 63, trails El-Sayed, 41, by nearly three points in recent polling, with Michigan poised to influence the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

Election officials noted that the vouchers are legal provided they are not exchanged for a specific vote or registration. Mark Brewer, a former Michigan Democratic Party chairman, stated that the practice is acceptable as long as it does not constitute a quid pro quo. Brett Kappel, a campaign finance attorney, agreed that the cards are permissible if not given in exchange for an agreement to vote for Rogers.

The move addresses persistent high fuel costs in the state, where prices have remained above $4 a gallon for 158 consecutive days. El-Sayed has frequently criticized Rogers on the issue of gas prices, while Rogers has called for suspending state and federal gasoline taxes and halting diesel exports.

Read the full story at Irish Star.