Daily Brief

Following Why Sign Up

MIDTERMS 2026 - SENATE

Michigan

TOSS UP D-held - Open: Peters is retiring

Election day is Tuesday, November 3 - 7 days away.

DEMOCRAT

Abdul El-Sayed

Former director of the Detroit Health Department and of Wayne County Health, Human and Veterans Services, and a 2018 candidate for governor. source

REPUBLICAN

Mike Rogers

Former FBI agent and U.S. House member who lost the 2024 Michigan Senate race to Elissa Slotkin by just over 19,000 votes. source

Where they differ

Only issues they disagree on. Each position is something the candidate said, voted for or published, linked to where.

Health care

EL-SAYED

Backs a single-payer Medicare for All plan that would still let workers keep supplemental union or employer insurance. source

ROGERS

Opposed extending the enhanced ACA premium tax credits; proposes expanding TrumpRx and penalizing insurers that hide prices. source

Immigration and ICE

EL-SAYED

Wants to abolish ICE, saying "we don't need ICE," and backs a path to citizenship. source

ROGERS

Backs current ICE enforcement under Trump and says it should continue. source

Taxes

EL-SAYED

Proposes a tax on wealth over $1 billion and a higher marginal rate on income over $1 million. source

ROGERS

Supports the 2025 Republican tax law; his ad says Trump's tax cuts raise take-home pay by $10,000 a year. source

Tariffs

EL-SAYED

Calls Trump's tariffs "incoherent"; favors targeted tariffs, set with unions, that expire over time. source

ROGERS

Backs most of Trump's tariffs, calling them a "mixed bag," while urging an end to the Canada tariff dispute. source

Abortion

EL-SAYED

Pledges to "fight to protect abortion rights" and access to contraception and IVF in the Senate. source

ROGERS

Co-sponsored 'life at conception' bills in the House; now says he would vote against a federal abortion ban. source

Public safety

EL-SAYED

Would fund police recruitment alongside behavioral-health responders and community violence intervention. source

ROGERS

Wants more federal officers sent to Michigan cities, citing the federal surge in Memphis. source

The money

Each campaign's own filings with the Federal Election Commission, for the whole 2026 cycle. Reports are filed on different days, so check the date under each name.

RAISED

El-Sayed $45.2M

Rogers $23.0M

SPENT

El-Sayed $41.4M

Rogers $19.4M

CASH LEFT

El-Sayed $3.8M

Rogers $3.9M

El-Sayed: through 2026-09-30; Rogers: through 2026-10-22. Source: FEC, read 2026-10-23.

Outside groups

Money super PACs, parties and other groups reported spending on their own to help or hurt each candidate.

Abdul El-Sayed

to help $2.8M

to hurt $21.1M

Mike Rogers

to help $13.9M

to hurt $11.3M

Independent expenditures reported to the FEC for the 2026 cycle, primary included. Groups that do not have to report (some issue ads) are not counted.

Latest polling

Marist (Oct 15-18, 2026, likely voters, +/-4.3): El-Sayed 50%, Rogers 48%. source

Michigan right now

How the state is doing going into the vote, from the people who count it.

JOBLESS RATE

5.0%

US: 4.2%

September 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary. Source: BLS

GAS, REGULAR

$4.77

US: $4.27

State average on 2026-10-27. Source: AAA

LAYOFF NOTICES (WARN), LAST 90 DAYS

2 notices covering 450 workers in Detroit.

Only the cities Newzino covers, from the state's own WARN filings. Not a statewide total.

From Newzino in Michigan

Think you know how Michigan goes? Call it on the map and see who controls the Senate.

Open the map Pick it with friends

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Abdul El-Sayed by Conlan Houston, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mike Rogers by P.J. Siquig, Public domain.

Positions checked 2026-10-23. Things they agree on are left out on purpose. Spot something wrong? Use the feedback button and we will fix it.