Complete U.S. Senate Debate on FOX 2
The U.S. Senate debate aired on FOX 2 on Sept. 15. Democratic Candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers face each other in a contested 2026 Midterm. While Rogers declined the invite for the debate, El-Sayed showed up.
The Michigan Senate debate happened in Detroit tonight, hosted by FOX 2 on “The Pulse.”
Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed was in studio and took questions from a handful of metro Detroiters – both via text and in studio, while Republican Mike Rogers and his campaign declined the invitation.
READ: Takeaways and debate analysis after Mike Rogers does not attend
Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed Detroit debate
Big picture view:
Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed committed to the event, while Republican nominee Mike Rogers and his campaign declined the invitation.
After 42 days of no response, the campaign released a statement Tuesday morning, explaining Rogers refused to appear because of moderator Roop Raj.
Why Mike Rogers’ campaign declined
Dig deeper:
The Rogers campaign released a statement saying:
“Michiganders deserve to see their candidates engage in a healthy, fair debate — not one compromised by media bias,” said Alyssa Brouillet, communications director in a statement. “Roop Raj has made his position clear, from praising Abdul as ‘brilliant,’ to being celebrated by Hasan Piker as ‘my GOAT,’ and bragging about his political stunts. Mike looks forward to making his case to working families and to making Abdul answer to voters for the conman he is.”
The other side:
Roop Raj responded to the claims on Good Day Detroit.
“Nothing we do at this station is trying to take a side,” Raj said. “We ask tough questions about Republicans and Democrats each and every night on our political talk show, The Pulse. But as you can imagine, the narrative is the narrative. And for whatever reason, the Rogers camp did not want to do a debate with FOX 2.
“It is rare to cite a moderator as a reason not to want to face an opponent. But that is what we have here this morning.”
Raj responded to the prior remark he made describing El-Sayed as brilliant, saying he is a former Rhodes Scholar, adding that doesn’t mean one has to agree with his policies.
“We were framing a question in that moment where people had questioned whether (El-Sayed) was actually a doctor or not a doctor, whether he was qualified for office or not,” Raj said. “I essentially was saying, look, this is a guy who, by all accounts, is a smart guy. They’re both tremendous political athletes.”
The backstory:
FOX 2, along with the Michigan Debate Committee, sent invites on Aug. 5, the day after the primary election in Michigan, to both candidates to attend tonight’s debate.
The El-Sayed campaign agreed to attend the debate the following day. The Rogers campaign initially acknowledged receipt of the invite, but did not respond until the morning of the event.
FOX 2 will leave an open podium for Rogers, and the invitation still stands.
Similarly, FOX 2 left an open podium for Jocelyn Benson earlier this summer when she did not commit to the debate in the Democratic primary race for governor.
RNC Chimes In
What they’re saying:
“While we appreciate Abdul taking a break from making thirst trap videos, he should apologize for aligning himself with 9/11 supporters and keeping money tied to terrorist organizations. El-Sayed’s radical, anti-American worldview is completely out of step with Michigan, and he has no business anywhere near the United States Senate.” – RNC Spokesman Hunter Lovell
Meanwhile:
Rogers and El-Sayed have both agreed to a WOOD TV8 debate on the west side of the state, happening Oct. 8. A press release from Rogers’ campaign slated it as the “first debate” of the general election cycle.
El-Sayed vs. Rogers
Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers at respective campaign events on Aug. 31, 2026.
Why you should care:
Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat is one of the most closely-watched races this election cycle as it will help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Currently, Republicans have a 53-47 majority, meaning Democrats need to gain four seats to retake the majority. Most of the 2026 elections are happening in states that Republican President Donald Trump easily won last November, but approval ratings are slipping and voters dissatisfied with the economy have created a difficult environment for Republicans.
Big picture view:
Democrats originally saw status quo wins in Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire, while picking up Republican-held seats in Alaska, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio, as their path to a majority victory.
But Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said last month that Democratic wins in unexpected Iowa and Texas could be another path to victory.
Local perspective:
Michigan’s open seat is being left vacant by Gary Peters, who is retiring.
No GOP candidate has won a Senate race in Michigan since 1994, and Republicans believe Rogers, who lost the 2024 Senate race to Elissa Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes, has an improved shot against El-Sayed. Democrats are struggling to unite after El-Sayed, the progressive candidate, narrowly defeated moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the August primary.
What’s next:
The election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from WJBK FOX 2, which reached out to the campaigns of both nominees. Background information was taken from previous FOX 2 reporting and The Associated Press.