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Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has secured Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, marking a bittersweet victory for Democrats in a swing state that simultaneously supported Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s successful bid to return to the White House.
Slotkin, currently serving her third term in the House, triumphed over former Republican congressman Mike Rogers. While Democrats have long held both Senate seats in Michigan, this year’s race was particularly significant due to the retirement of incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
THANK YOU, MICHIGAN! I am so honored to be the next Senator from the great state of Michigan and to follow in the footsteps of the great @Stabenow.
This would not have happened without the hard work and support of so many: my family, our volunteers, donors, and of course —… pic.twitter.com/d8Mj8C9qRq
— Elissa Slotkin (@ElissaSlotkin) November 6, 2024
Despite Slotkin’s narrow win, Democrats struggled to maintain their Senate majority, losing ground in several key races across the country. The Michigan contest proved to be exceptionally close, with Slotkin acknowledging on Wednesday that many voters likely split their ballots between her and Trump, who secured the state’s electoral votes over Democrat Kamala Harris.
This victory extends the Democratic Party’s recent success in Michigan, where they haven’t lost a statewide race since Trump’s narrow win in 2016. Currently, Democrats hold the governorship and control both chambers of the Legislature, although the entire state House is up for reelection this year.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, launched her Senate campaign shortly after Stabenow announced her retirement in early 2023. With minimal primary opposition, she amassed a substantial fundraising advantage, which she leveraged for extensive advertising. Her campaign received high-profile support from former President Barack Obama and Stabenow herself.
On the Republican side, Rogers faced multiple challengers for the party’s nomination, including former Reps. Justin Amash and Peter Meijer, with the latter withdrawing before the August 6 primary. Rogers, who served in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2015, had previously chaired the House Intelligence Committee.
Trump’s victory in Michigan this time around saw him expand his margin to approximately 80,000 votes, a significant increase from his 2016 win of just over 10,000 votes.
Slotkin and other Michigan Democrats centered much of their campaigns on reproductive rights, arguing that their Republican opponents would support a national abortion ban. Rogers, however, stated he wouldn’t back such a measure. The effectiveness of this issue in motivating voters remained uncertain on Election Day, particularly given that Michigan voters had enshrined reproductive rights in the state constitution in 2022.
According to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of over 110,000 voters nationally, including about 3,700 in Michigan, approximately 40% of Michigan voters identified the economy and jobs as the country’s top issue. About 20% cited immigration as the most pressing concern, while roughly 10% named abortion.
Only half our kids can read at grade level, and Elissa Slotkin is focused on forcing our daughters to play sports against biological males.
I’m a dad, who will fight to improve our kids’ education and to protect girl’s sports. Slotkin is just too radical for Michigan. pic.twitter.com/Rdj4p3oG3I
— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) October 17, 2024
Slotkin utilized her funding advantage to establish her narrative early in the campaign, aiming to connect with both her base and disenchanted Republicans. During their only debate, she extended an olive branch to Republicans, saying, “For the Republicans who feel like their party has left them over the last few years, you will always have an open door in my office.”
