Mike Rogers Skips Michigan Senate Debate Amid Bias Claims

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers declined to participate in a televised town hall and debate hosted by FOX 2 Detroit on September 16, 2026. Rogers defended his absence by claiming his campaign never agreed to the event and accusing moderator Roop Raj of favoritism. Fox News anchor Dana Perino supported the decision, stating the moderators were a bit too biased. In contrast, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed appeared alone at the event, accusing Rogers of avoiding questions on his record and support for Donald Trump.

During the session, El-Sayed disavowed controversial comments made by streamer Hasan Piker regarding Jewish Americans and rejected the socialist label, describing himself as a capitalist. He further accused Rogers of attempting to turn the election into a culture war based on his Muslim faith and ethnicity.

Outside the debate, the candidates engaged in mutual attacks over their legislative records. Rogers demanded El-Sayed return campaign contributions from individuals linked to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, questioning El-Sayed's ability to obtain a security clearance. El-Sayed responded by claiming Rogers voted nine times to deny healthcare to 9/11 first responders. PolitiFact rated this claim as Half True, noting that while Rogers opposed the 2010 James Zadroga Act, the tally included procedural votes and omitted other funding votes Rogers supported.

The race for the seat held by retiring Senator Gary Peters is rated as a toss-up by the UVA Center for Politics. Rogers and El-Sayed have agreed to two future debates on October 8 and October 21.