It's crunch time for candidates with just two weeks until midterms.
U.S. Senate candidates Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers are meeting for one final debate Wednesday night on WXYZ in Detroit. When they faced off in Grand Rapids earlier in October, there was mudslinging, interruptions and harsh claims on both sides.
Statewide political correspondent Russ McNamara says he's not sure if candidates will try for the same tactics this time.
"If they stay on topic, it might be a snooze fest, he said. "If they go wildly into the personal attacks, might not offer any new information. So, pick your poison."
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama is campaign with his party's slate of candidates in Detroit on Saturday. President Donald Trump is going to Port Huron in St. Clair County on Sunday.
McNamara says Obama's visit to Michigan comes as the former president wades back into politics throughout the country, especially high enthusiasm within his party. That will help Democratic candidates throughout the ticket, but the focus will be on El-Sayed.
"El-Sayed, anything he can do to help shore up Black support, especially in the city of Detroit, is a boon for him."
Trump's visit to Port Huron is strategic to pull in voters from the Thumb and Metro Detroit to get them excited to cast their ballots for his party's candidates, especially with some of his based frustrated with high fuel prices and the ongoing war in Iran.
"Him coming to town, it's a smart move. It's a smart play for Republicans," McNamara said.
Monday, October 19 is the last day of Michiganders to register to vote by mail or online. After that, people wanting to cast a ballot must go in person to their local clerk's office.
Michigan offers same-day voter registration through Election Day.
Absentee ballots must be return to clerk's offices or local drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: It's crunch time for candidates with just about two weeks until midterms.
There's one big debate left on the calendar and some high-profile campaign visits scheduled.
Statewide political correspondent Russ McNamara is following it all, and he joins me now. Hi Russ. How are you hanging in there?
Russ McNamara: I'm hanging in there. It's been a sprint to the finish, and we still have two weeks to go.
Saliby: [laughs] I know. So, absentee ballots are out, and communities are beginning to open early voting sites over the course of this week. We've talked about how this close to the election, it's less about convincing people to vote for you and more about getting your supporters just to the polls. What is that looking like on the ground?
McNamara: It's pretty good if you're Democrats because enthusiasm is already high, and then you're bringing the still wildly popular former president to town this weekend, and that can only help, especially if you buy into the fact that, you know, Black voters aren't entirely sure of Abdul El-Sayed at this point. No problems in that regard for gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson, and she's essentially the top of the ticket here, and so that will help boost El-Sayed's numbers as well.
On the Republican side, Mike Rogers might have an enthusiasm problem. You can't always weigh in on lawn signs, but there are definitely more El-Sayed lawn signs out there, and that includes in rural parts of the state. I just went to the Upper Peninsula, drove through a lot of rural country, and yeah, there were more Mike Rogers lawn signs up there, but there were a lot of El-Sayed lawn signs up there.
El-Sayed drawing, you know, 500 people in Escanaba, another 450 people in Iron Mountain, and then at least 1,200 people in Marquette. That's a good sign for enthusiasm. Mike Rogers drawing a couple of 100 people in Oakland County. That is a problem. That is a problem for him because he needs those Republican voters to show up in an election without Donald Trump. He had that advantage two years ago, still didn't beat Elissa Slotkin this time around. I don't know; it's difficult.
Saliby: Speaking of the Senate race, El-Sayed and Rogers are debating on Wednesday night on WXYZ in Detroit. Their last debate got pretty heated with mudslinging interruptions and harsh claims on both sides. Can we expect different tactics this time?
McNamara: I don't know. There's no guarantee. Mike Rogers had his idea to go in swinging and using every scary Muslim buzzword you could think of throwing Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood out there in the first five minutes of the debate., so you knew exactly what you're going to get. And El-Sayed had tried to stay on topic, didn't necessarily do as well with that.
So honestly, if they stay on topic, it might be a snooze fest. If they go wildly into the personal attacks, might not offer any new information. So, pick your poison.
Saliby: Let's talk about these two big campaign appearances happening this weekend. Former President Obama, as you mentioned, is set to rally with Democrats in Detroit on Saturday. What does it say that he's stepping into the state? Because it seems like he's getting a lot more active this cycle.
McNamara: Yeah, and he kind of needs to, might as well ride that wave. There is definitely some enthusiasm on the Democratic side, so might as well put yourself out there. It took him a while to make an endorsement in the U.S. Senate race. You knew he would coalesce behind Jocelyn Benson, who had talked at prior events for him and former President Joe Biden.
So, you knew he could be all in for her. Whether or not he was going to go all in for El-Sayed kind of remained to be seen. And he so far has been a defender of El Sayed's, and he's coming to town to help him out specifically.
I don't necessarily think Jocelyn Benson needs it at this point, as well as Garlin Gilchrist and Elli Savit. But El-Sayed, anything he can do to help shore up Black support, especially in the city of Detroit, is a boon for him.
Saliby: Meanwhile, President Trump is coming in the next day, Sunday, to St. Clair County. This is interesting. This is the first time St. Clair County has hosted a president apparently. What's the significance of of being there?
McNamara: You know, it's a smart location actually because it allows the Thumb to easily get over to Port Huron while still drawing from Macomb County, Oakland County, maybe not so much Wayne County, but so, it will likely fill up the place. I would have to think so.
If it doesn't, then you know Republicans really have a problem. But he's trying to fire up a lot of his rural base right now, who might be a little bit frustrated with the president over the war in Iran and the higher cost for gas and diesel fuel. I talked to a lot of people Up north. That was one of their main concerns is that everything costs more, and that's what President Trump ran on two years ago, and he's made the situation worse.
And so, that's not going to help draw more people out to an election that he is not running in. So, him coming to town, it's a smart move. It's a smart play for Republicans, but it might not be enough this cycle.
Saliby: Well, we'll have to just wait and see. Russ McNamara is one of our statewide political correspondents. Thank you for joining us.
McNamara: Thanks, Sophia.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
