Michigan voters make surprising cross-party choices as Rogers, El-Sayed race reaches final hours
Michigan voters showed the swinginess of their state in conversations with Fox News the day before the midterm elections, with one former Democrat firmly backing GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers and a lifelong Republican holding his nose to vote for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat.
After casting a ballot for Rogers, voter Marjorie Mehney said she was a Democrat "years ago" and would be "embarrassed to be one today" with candidates like El-Sayed representing the party.
However, she pointed out that El-Sayed has won over many voters in her hometown of Petoskey, located in Emmet County, where President Donald Trump took more than 55% of the vote in 2024.
"The majority are Republican. However, there's a great deal of signage for Abdul. So it's very mixed. We've never seen anything like the support that's going on with signs in front yards," Mehney told Fox News in downtown Rochester.
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When asked if she knew why there had been a shift toward El-Sayed, she said she had "no idea" and called the momentum he is experiencing in her community "a bit shocking."
"They are people I've known and never knew that they felt this way that Abdul does," she said. "It's a little concerning."
Mehney predicted that El-Sayed will prevail over Rogers on Tuesday, but warned that Michigan voters will come to regret sending him to the Senate.
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Another voter, Tom Wright, told Fox News that he voted for El-Sayed despite disagreeing with him on "60% to 70% of his policy positions."
"I cannot bring myself to vote for a Trump minion under any circumstances," Wright said, referring to Rogers.
Rogers left Congress before Trump launched his first presidential campaign, representing Michigan's 8th District from 2001 to 2015, meaning he has no congressional voting record on Trump's legislative agenda across either of his two terms.
Rogers has made his position clear on a series of Trump policies. For instance, he backed the Iran war in its early stages and has supported giving presidents broad authority to impose reciprocal tariffs, as Trump did.
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However, as the Senate campaign entered its final stretch, Rogers has distanced himself with Trump on both issues. In late September, he released an ad calling for a quick end to the Iran war, and in early October, another ad of his demanded an end to the "tariff war" with Canada.
Wright, who described himself as "a lifelong Republican," said Rogers' shifts on those issues were not enough to win his support.
Wright argued that the GOP is "too far toward Trump" and that "Mike Rogers won't stop it."
"The litmus test is, are people willing to hold their nose and vote for Abdul because they are so appalled by Trump? Not that they like Abdul or are a progressive," Wright said.
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When asked about his reservations about El-Sayed, Wright said he doesn't like his stance on Israel and Palestinians.
"I don't think he has sufficiently disavowed elements that I consider divisive. A man is judged by the company he keeps and he keeps some pretty bad company," Wright said. "Nonetheless, he is one senator out of 100. I don't care what he says he's going to do. He can't do a damn thing. And if some sanity returns to the Republican Party in six years, I can vote for the opposition."
A third Michigan voter, Gerald, said he was planning to split his ticket, telling Fox News he would vote for Rogers for Senate and Democrat Jocelyn Benson for governor.
Gerald wasn't comfortable voting for El-Sayed because he heard he is a "communist."
As in past midterm elections, Michigan could play a pivotal role in determining control of Congress. Polls are open across the state Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with voters still able to cast a ballot as long as they are in line by the time polls close.
