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Democrats want to defend Michigan's open Senate seat
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Democrats want to defend Michigan's open Senate seat

DETROIT (AP) — The race for Michigan's open Senate seat between Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and former Republican congressman Mike Rogers remained too early to call early Wednesday after results in other states showed Democrats lost their slim majority in the upper chamber.

Slotkin had a clear lead early in her campaign, but as Republicans grew more confident about Donald Trump's presidential prospects in Michigan, the contest drew more attention from donors who believed Rogers had a good chance of becoming the first Republican , who won a U.S. Senate seat in the state in 30 years.

Slotkin thanked her supporters as she took the stage in Detroit early Wednesday. With a third of Michigan's votes still to be counted, she emphasized that it remains a “tight race.”

“We have had difficult times before in our history,” Slotkin told the watch party in downtown Detroit. “In the next few days the results will become clear and the task ahead will be to come together.”

Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and third-term representative, brought its Senate into being election campaign shortly after Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow announced her resignation Early 2023. With a largely uncontested primary, Slotkin built a significant fundraising advantage, which she spent largely on ads in the final month of the race. She has also received high-profile endorsements from figures like former President Barack Obama and Stabenow, who helped her campaign last month.

On the Republican side Rogers faced several challengers for the party's nomination, including former Reps. Justin Amash and Peter Meijer, the latter of whom withdrew before the August 6 primary. Rogers was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2015 and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Rogers would be the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since Spence Abraham in 1994.

The presidential race for the top spot was expected to significantly influence the outcome. Rogers repeatedly accused Slotkin of voting “100% with the Biden-Harris agenda” and aligned himself closely with Republican candidate Donald Trump, who supported him.

Rogers wowed a crowd in western Michigan late Monday night, just before Trump's final campaign rally in Grand Rapids, assuring voters: “Come tomorrow, we'll have your back.” Trump later praised Rogers on stage, calling him ” amazing” and said he was doing “great.”

Slotkin and other Michigan Democrats focused much of their campaigning on reproductive rights, arguing that Republican opponents would support a statewide abortion ban, although Rogers said he would not do so. How effective the issue was in motivating Michigan voters to cast ballots in 2022 in a state where reproductive rights were enshrined in the constitution remained to be seen on Election Day.

About four in 10 voters in Michigan said the economy and jobs are the country's biggest problem AP VoteCasta comprehensive survey of more than 110,000 voters across the country, including about 3,700 voters in Michigan. About two in 10 voters in Michigan said immigration was the most pressing issue, and about one in 10 cited abortion.

Slotkin used her funding advantage to establish her narrative early, aiming to connect with both her base and disaffected Republicans.

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“For Republicans who feel like their party has abandoned them in recent years, you always have an open door in my office,” Slotkin said during their only debate.

The Detroit metropolitan area could be a vulnerable area for Slotkin as frustration over the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war impacts disaffected Democrats. Slotkin, who is Jewish, has supported Israel while criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many leaders of the state's large Muslim community expressed frustration that they and other Democrats have not spoken out more forcefully on behalf of the Palestinians.

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