Michigan Senate debate: Key takeaways from El-Sayed-Rogers clash | News 2026 US midterm elections

Candidates in two key U.S. Senate races faced off in their final debates, less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers traded accusations Wednesday over their political views and the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

In Kansas, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and his Democratic opponent Adam Hamilton were at odds over rising diesel prices and President Donald Trump’s plan to import Russian fuel.

The results of both elections will influence which party takes control of the Senate. Republicans currently dominate the upper house of Congress with 53 of 100 seats. Democrats hold 45 and two senators are independents who are part of the Democratic Party.

Here are some of the key takeaways from these debates:

Michigan

Rogers distances himself from Trump on certain subjects

Rogers questioned some of Trump’s tariffs, calling them a “mixture.” While supportive of measures to bring auto manufacturing back to Michigan from China and Mexico, he questioned the impact of tariffs on Canada.

“I took a step back and said maybe these Canadian tariffs weren’t well thought out,” Rogers said, referring to the close ties between the two countries’ auto industries.

Michigan is located on the Canadian border and is the US state with the most auto manufacturing jobs.

Rogers insisted he would put Michigan’s interests first if elected.

“If it’s good for Michigan, I’ll be for it. If it’s bad for Michigan, I’ll be against it,” he said.

He objected to El-Sayed’s repeated references to Trump.

“The bingo game should be how many times can he insert the word Trump into any answer he’s given in the last 30 minutes,” he said. “This is ridiculous.”

Iran takes center stage

El-Sayed accused Rogers of supporting the war against Iran, which he blamed on rising fuel and food prices in the United States.

He said he believed Iran posed a threat to U.S. national security but argued that the 2015 nuclear deal, negotiated under former President Barack Obama, helped contain it through diplomacy.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed by Iran and several world powers, including the United States. He imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program, including strictly limiting uranium enrichment and requiring Iran to submit to international inspections, in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, arguing that it did not adequately address Iran’s nuclear ambitions, its ballistic missile program and its support for armed groups in the region.

El-Sayed criticized Trump for abandoning the deal in his first term and launching a war against Iran in his second.

El-Sayed argued that Americans have paid the price.

“The consequences of this war are that you pay almost $5 (per gallon or 3.8 liters) for gasoline. You pay more in groceries because of the price of diesel,” he said.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), regular gasoline in Michigan cost an average of $4.44 per gallon on Wednesday, up from $2.92 a year earlier. Diesel prices rose from $3.62 to $6.41 per gallon during the same period.

El-Sayed also sought to tie Rogers to Trump, who is expected to campaign in Michigan on Sunday.

“Donald Trump is on the ballot through Mike Rogers. They stand together in this war, and you are paying the price,” he said.

“Mike Rogers promoted this war long before he was in Congress. He has a war for everything, and he won’t give up on war now.”

Rogers calls out Democrats

Rogers appealed to Democrats who supported Haley Stevens, whom El-Sayed defeated in the Democratic primary.

“If you were a Haley Stevens voter and you came away saying, ‘Man, I can’t do this. He’s too extreme, “well, guess what? You’ll have a house with us,” he said, asserting that a growing number of Democrats now support his campaign.

One of the debate’s most controversial moments came when Rogers suggested that El-Sayed had the same supporters as groups like Hamas, allegations that El-Sayed pushed back against.

“You can smile and you can smile and you can speak very nicely, but I’ll tell you what, it’s a risk to our national security,” Rogers said. He told reporters after the debate that he wondered whether El-Sayed could obtain a security clearance for senators if elected.

El-Sayed called the allegations “shameful.”

El-Sayed and Rogers clash over immigration and ICE

Immigration sparked another heated exchange.

Rogers defended the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, arguing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations helped reduce crime.

“We should continue to do this. Find these people who are committing crimes and get them out of the country,” Rogers said.

El-Sayed criticized ICE’s tactics, accusing Rogers of supporting raids on schools, workplaces and places of worship.

“He supports ICE roaming your streets. They don’t need to tell you who they are. They don’t need to tell you why they’re there,” El-Sayed said.

“I believe we don’t need ICE,” he added.

Kansas

Marshall blames war in Ukraine for high diesel prices

Marshall said Russia’s war against Ukraine rather than the war against Iran was responsible for soaring diesel prices during his latest debate with his Democratic challenger.

The Republican’s comments echo Trump’s recent criticism of Ukraine, including his assertion that Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries caused fuel prices to rise.

Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release stockpiles of Russian diesel in the United States and global markets to lower prices, an idea Marshall welcomed with some reservations.

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” Marshall said. But he added: “If it brings Russia to the negotiating table and ends the war, then I’m all for it now.” »

Hamilton responded angrily: “What you just said is that you are going to betray our friends in Ukraine. That is not acceptable.”

Diesel prices have become a key campaign issue in Kansas, where farmers rely heavily on the fuel. Diesel cost an average of $6.32 per gallon this week in the state, compared to $3.62 a year earlier, according to AAA.

Hamilton blamed the price hike on Trump’s war on Iran and called for a temporary suspension of federal fuel taxes. Marshall also said he wanted the war to end soon, but did not commit to trying to force Trump to end it.

ICE raids divide Kansas candidates

Hamilton criticized recent ICE raids while Marshall defended Trump’s border policies.

Both candidates expressed cautious support for making E-Verify, a system that allows employers to verify whether workers are legally authorized to work in the United States, mandatory for businesses.

“I think it’s a good idea. Of course, the devil is in the details,” Marshall said, saying Republicans had secured the border and could now focus on fixing the immigration system.

Hamilton challenged Marshall, who had mentioned giving birth to undocumented parents during his medical career.

“Did you also call ICE and ask for them to be taken away? What did you do with these people?” asked Hamilton.

“You showed them compassion by bringing these children into the world, but then you support quotas. They’re going to have people taken away. Hutchinson, Kansas, I was there. A kindergarten teacher was arrested in front of her children,” he added.

Hamilton also criticized recent ICE raids in southwest Kansas, warning that they were scaring workers and disrupting the agriculture industry.

“People are terrified when ICE comes because they’ve been militarized, politicized, and so people don’t show up to work,” he said.

“We don’t want people to be terrified in our communities. »

Sell ​​weapons to Israel

Hamilton criticized the use of American weapons in Gaza while Marshall defended Washington’s alliance with Israel.

Hamilton said he favored providing defensive weapons to Israel, but opposed providing bombs used in attacks on densely populated areas.

“When you see entire towns razed in Gaza, it’s no longer just about eradicating Hamas,” Hamilton said.

“They use our help to buy our guns and then drop them on innocent civilians. It’s just not acceptable. It’s not decent. It’s not who we are as Americans.”

Marshall defended Israel as one of Washington’s closest allies and was asked if there were circumstances under which he would block an arms sale.

“I’m sure it is. I’m not sure what it would be,” Marshall said.

Marshall stressed the importance of strong military alliances, but said Washington should prioritize domestic concerns.

“I want to make sure our borders are secure. Let’s take care of things at home first,” he said.