ROCHESTER, Mich. — Less than 24 hours after 7 News Detroit hosted Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed for a Senate debate at Broadcast House, voters in Rochester are sharing how it will impact their vote.
Rochester is one of Michigan's most closely divided cities politically — a reflection of the broader purple state it calls home. In 2024 Rogers narrowly beat out Elissa Slotkin in the City of Rochester, and President Trump narrowly beat out Kamala Harris. In recent elections, Republicans and Democrats have been neck and neck in the city. Nearby Rochester Hills also boasts a diverse electorate.
Denise Bonner and Judy Hickman, both of Rochester Hills, are friends who have starkly different political views. Representative of the City at large.
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Bonner, a Republican, says she was already committed to voting for Rogers heading into the debate — and says that uncertainty about El-Sayed has driven her decision.
"I'm feeling very fearful to be frank with you," Bonner said. "What exactly am I fearful about is the unknown. There's just so many things, so many controversial things out there, that's the reason. Just too many unknowns."
Throughout the debate, Rogers questioned El-Sayed's loyalties, telling voters: "So being bought off by the Muslim brotherhood, having donors to his campaign from Hamas that support Hezbollah, is not a problem?"
El-Sayed has denied those claims, and that line of attack didn't resonate with Hickman, a Democrat.
"El-Sayed, I like his ideas. I think that they're refreshing and I think we need a change in Washington and I don't think we're going to get it unless we put people in there who are different," Hickman said.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, worked to draw a sharp contrast with Rogers throughout the debate, repeatedly tying his opponent to President Donald Trump.
"Donald Trump is on the ballot through Mike Rogers, they are hip to hip on this war and you are paying the cost," El-Sayed said.
John Clark, a professor of political science at Western Michigan University, says at this stage in the race, campaigns are focused less on persuasion and more on turning out their base.
"I think when voters make decisions, there are really two sets of decisions that they make. The first of course is which candidates they support, but the second is whether or not they're actually going to vote," Clark said.
Clark says the race will come down to the wire as both sides work to rally their bases.
"It may be the case that most folks have figured out that they like one candidate more or the other candidate more, but until they actually cast that ballot they're just someone with a preference rather than an actual voter," Clark said.
Despite their political differences, Bonner says her friendship with Hickman is a reminder that civil disagreement is still possible.
"I can respect her views, she can respect my views, and that's really a true friendship," Bonner said.
According to the Michigan Secretary of State, more than 780,000 Michiganders have already cast their ballots absentee — about 10.7% of registered voters.
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