Democrats Hold A Critical Senate Seat In A Politically Critical State

Democrat Elissa Slotkin is projected to win the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, preserving her party’s control of a tightly contested open seat.

Slotkin is a rising star in the Democratic Party, a former intelligence officer who has been in the U.S. House since 2019. She defeated Republican Mike Rogers, who had served seven terms in the House before leaving Congress in 2015.

Democratic leaders had rallied around Slotkin last year as their choice to succeed the retiring Democratic incumbent, Debbie Stabenow, in no small part because Michigan is a closely divided state and Slotkin had a history of winning over independent and Republican-leaning voters.

Slotkin’s win would appear to validate that logic.

The Michigan Senate campaign played out much like the presidential race did, with Rogers blaming Slotkin and the Democrats for high consumer prices and for a (temporary) spike in illegal border crossings. He also frequently invoked transgender people as a political issue on the campaign trail and called for banning trans women from women’s sports and bathrooms.

But that wasn’t enough to stop Slotkin, who campaigned on protecting abortion rights and on preserving and expanding government programs to reduce the cost of health care. Polls have shown both positions are highly popular with Michigan voters, even many who don’t identify as Democratic.

Slotkin is a relatively conservative Democrat who has leaned heavily on her experience as a national security official working for presidents of both parties. But she has also been a consistent and vocal critic of Donald Trump, voting for his impeachment while he was president and condemning his support of efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Another, more Michigan-specific issue in the race was the future of the auto industry, historically central to the state’s economy, and electric vehicles (EVs).

Rogers attacked Slotkin for supporting government policies to promote production and sale of EVs, arguing it would hurt the industry and its workers. Slotkin said these policies will actually allow U.S. automakers to catch up with foreign competitors, saving jobs in the process.

Slotkin’s election also ensures that a woman will continue to hold at least one of Michigan’s Senate seats, maintaining a streak that began in 2001, when Stabenow took office.

See full results from the Michigan Senate election here.