Voter guide: US Senate race
(This story was updated to correct a misspelling.)
The following are brief biographies of each major party candidate pulled from their official websites, our previous reporting, campaign websites and campaign social media pages. Candidates without that information were contacted, and in some cases did not respond. If the candidate has a campaign website, we've linked to that under "Read more here." This guide does not include third-party candidates or candidates in noncompetitive races. For a full listing of all candidates, including from third parties, see here.
Elissa Slotkin, D
Slotkin, of Holly, in northern Oakland County, has an impressive resume to say the least: After serving as an intelligence official under two presidents and having done three tours in Iraq, she was an acting assistant secretary in the Defense Department under former President Barack Obama. Then she ran for and flipped what until then had been a solidly Republican U.S. House district outside Detroit in 2018, winning three close elections in districts that voted for Republican former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.
Slotkin, a prodigious fundraiser and the only Jewish member of Michigan’s congressional delegation, is also an indefatigable campaigner and leaves little to chance. She continues to present herself as a more moderate, independent Democrat. She typically votes with her party, though she also breaks with it somewhat more than most. Well-known for her appearances on TV, she is a sought-after voice on national security issues and foreign affairs; she, too, has called for a cease-fire in Gaza, but also defended Israel’s right to take down Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. She has fought for abortion rights and access to health care, though she does not favor getting rid of private insurers but wants a Medicare-like public option to compete with them.
Mike Rogers, R
Rogers is a former congressman from Michigan, having served from 2001 to 2015, and during his tenure established himself as a serious conservative and a reliably mainstream Republican vote, albeit one who was willing to work with Democrats, especially as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Seen as more of a pragmatic than ideological Republican, Rogers, a former FBI agent, became a sought-after commentator on national security and intelligence matters.
Upon leaving Congress he worked for CNN and in the cybersecurity field, leaving Michigan only to return to Brighton when the Senate seat came open. In the past, he was critical of former President Donald Trump, especially in Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election won by President Joe Biden. But Rogers is now supportive of Trump, feeling he was a far better president than Biden, and each has the other’s endorsement. Rogers maintains he is “ready to serve,” and can make coalitions on Day One in office and that he is running to rein in inflation, secure the Southern border and block the economic threat posed by an ambitious Chinese government.
Additional Detroit Free Press reporting on this race:
This year's voter guide was compiled by reporters Clara Hendrickson, John Wisely, Arpan Lobo, Paul Egan, Todd Spangler, Niraj Warikoo, Christina Hall, Bill Laytner, Gina Kaufman, Ahmad Garnett, Jenna Prestininzi, Bella Bakeman, Carmella Guaglianone and Diamy Wang, with editing help from Emily Lawler, Pat Byrne, Sally Tato and Jewel Gopwani.
Questions about this guide, or about election coverage in the Free Press? Contact State Government & Politics Editor Emily Lawler: [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Voter guide: US Senate race