The campaign tour buses carrying US Senate candidates Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed drove parallel paths throughout Southwest Michigan on Thursday.
Early in the afternoon, Democratic nominee El-Sayed made a stop in Benton Harbor, while Republican nominee Rogers spoke at the Berrien County GOP office in St. Joseph.
Rogers speaks to supporters in St. Joseph
Rogers campaigned alongside Republican Michigan Attorney General nominee Doug Lloyd, 4th Congressional District Republican Bill Huizenga, and other down-ballot GOP candidates at the event.
Rogers says Republicans have plans to address affordability, and says Democrats are raising prices.
“Obviously on costs, once the war comes to a conclusion — which I think is gonna be soon — we need to make sure that all of those prices fall as fast as they can," Rogers said.
The day before the event, the Associated Press reported the US had warned allies of a potential new wave of strikes on Iran. Rogers sidestepped a question on whether he would vote to authorize strikes on Iran if elected.
“[President Trump is] probably considering every option.. I had a conversation with the president and said — ‘hey, it’s time to start wrapping this thing up’, so we’ll see what I get there. He was under the belief that this thing might be wrapped up before I even stick my arm up and take the oath," Rogers said.
Rogers said he believes the war will end soon, but did not elaborate on how an end to the war could be achieved.
Rogers said he’ll focus on improving reading scores, making homes more affordable, and lowering energy costs. He said he has a plan to use Title I funds to implement phonics programs in schools.
“Two-thirds of our kids can't read. Thank you to the Democrats. They gave us the highest utility rates in the Midwest, the highest auto insurance rates in the country. We are twice as expensive than Ohio and Indiana who we compete with with jobs," Rogers said.
El-Sayed rallies with Slotkin in Kalamazoo
In Kalamazoo, El-Sayed spoke to a packed house at Western Michigan University’s Miller Auditorium on Thursday night — where he was joined by local leaders and sitting US Senator Elissa Slotkin.
She told attendees she’s committed to working with El-Sayed despite differences on certain policy issues.
“The question on the table is not like, 'Are you a moderate? Are you a progressive?' The difference today with [President Trump] in the White House is just simply, 'Are you on team fight? Or are you on team flight?'," Slotkin said.
El-Sayed told reporters that Slotkin’s busy schedule has prevented her from campaigning with him until now, but said he believes appearances with her and former Democratic candidate Haley Stevens will encourage Democratic unity.
El Sayed said he’s focused on encouraging supporters to vote, but hasn’t stopped trying to sway voters who are still on the fence. He also acknowledged the Rogers campaign holding similarly-timed events in the Southwest Michigan area, but said he believes he’s more focused on engaging with voters than Rogers.
"Our job is to go and talk to everybody, have the conversations about who we are and who we want to be. We want to turn out all the voters who are excited to vote for us," El-Sayed said.
El-Sayed doubled down on the key parts of his campaign — tackling corruption, implementing universal healthcare, and affordability. He also took several opportunities to condemn Republican-led attacks against his faith.
"You would think that their campaign might want to mention gas or groceries. But instead, they just want to point to me and be like, 'He's Muslim.' Y'all, let me just tell you. I am Muslim. And I'm an American who believes in the Constitution and that that shouldn't matter," El-Sayed said.
During his campaign event in St. Joseph earlier in the day, Rogers doubled down on claims that El-Sayed is connected with the Muslim Brotherhood.
"He looked in the camera and lied to America and Michigan and said — 'I don't have anything to do with the Muslim Brotherhood'. The evidence is overwhelming," Rogers said.
The US has designated some branches of that group as terrorist organizations. El-Sayed’s campaign denies he has any connection with the group.
"They can keep saying my name, they can keep pointing to my faith. My name and my faith are not the reason you can't afford your groceries. My name and my faith are not the reason you can't afford your gas. My name and my faith are not the reason you can't see a doctor," El-Sayed said.
The Cook Political Report rates the race between El-Sayed and Rogers as a toss-up heading into the final days of the election.
