Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed believes the anti-corporate influence message that helped him win his primary this month will also play well in the general election in November.
Mr. El-Sayed, a 41-year-old former public health official, has pledged not to take corporate donations or be influenced by Washington lobbyists if elected to the Senate.
He used that message to defeat Rep. Haley Stevens in the Aug. 4 primary and is reupping it now as he takes on former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers.
“We’re talking about ending corporate contributions and special interest domination of our politics,” Mr. El-Sayed said Wednesday at a campaign event in Detroit. “We’re talking about returning government to the people, to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people, which has been the promise of America all along.”
The Democratic nominee attacked his GOP opponent as “a corporate shill and a Donald Trump suck-up.”
Mr. Rogers served in the House for 14 years, deciding not to seek reelection in 2014 to take a gig as a conservative talk radio host. He also took on political consulting work before running for the Senate in 2024, when he lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin.
“He continues serving the corporate special interests like he’s done his entire career, and then cash their checks,” said Detroit City Council member Denzel McCampbell.
As an example, he cited Mr. Rogers’ tens of thousands in campaign contributions from the billionaire Moroun family that owns the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit to Canada.
“He was one of their most reliable allies as they fought for years to block the construction of the Gordie Howe Bridge, because a new public bridge meant new competition for the one owned by his billionaire donors,” Mr. McCampbell said.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, opened in July. Mr. Trump tried to block the opening over ownership and trade disputes with Canada, and Mr. Rogers backed the move.
“We should use every bit of leverage for some tough negotiating with our Canadian friends as we can,” Mr. Rogers said on WJR’s “JR Morning” show in June.
Michigan state Sen. Stephanie Chang, a Democrat, argued that Mr. Rogers won’t help lower gas prices because he’s beholden to industry donors.
“While he was in Congress, Mike Rogers took nearly $700,000 in campaign and PAC contributions from the oil and gas industry,” she said. “In return, he opposed legislation that would crack down on price gouging during fuel shortages and emergencies. He backed energy legislation that drove up gas prices.”
Mr. El-Sayed said Mr. Rogers took more than $5 million in corporate PAC donations during his tenure in Congress, voted to protect those companies’ interests and used his business connections to boost his net worth after he departed the House.
“It is clear, just based on his own record, that he is among the most corrupt candidates for U.S. Senate in recent memory, and certainly in Michigan history,” the Democrat said.
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Rogers’ campaign for comment.
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