Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers will not attend a debate organized by a local television station on Tuesday, citing concerns about perceived bias from the event's moderator, Roop Raj, towards his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed. Rogers' campaign released a statement alleging that Raj, an anchor at Fox 2 Detroit, has behaved in a manner inconsistent with the seriousness required for moderating a high-profile Senate debate.
El-Sayed has previously challenged Rogers to five debates ahead of the November midterm elections. Rogers, whose race is classified as a 'toss up' by the Cook Political Report, has agreed to participate in two debates scheduled for October 8 and October 21 on different networks. The Fox 2 Detroit debate will continue as planned, featuring El-Sayed and an empty podium for Rogers, with the station confirming that the invitation remains open.
Rogers' campaign criticized Raj for various reasons, including his moderation of a Republican gubernatorial primary debate and previous comments where he referred to Rogers as a 'veteran politician' and El-Sayed as an 'outsider who is pretty brilliant in many ways.' Alyssa Brouillet, a spokesperson for Rogers' campaign, stated, 'Michiganders deserve to see their candidates engage in a healthy, fair debate — not one compromised by media bias.'
Raj has not yet responded to the accusations from Rogers. He and the Michigan Debate Commission have recently urged Rogers to participate in the debate with El-Sayed. In a post on X, Raj emphasized the importance of candidates attending debates, stating that relying on social media ads and selective interviews does not serve the electorate. Raj also mentioned that he has had productive conversations with Rogers in the past, expressing hope that Rogers would attend the debate and affirming his commitment to conducting the event with integrity.