El-Sayed, Rogers face off in last Michigan Senate debate: 3 takeaways

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers faced off in their second and final debate in the race for Michigan’s open Senate seat, a pivotal contest that could determine control of the upper chamber.

The debate was less fiery than their first meeting earlier this month, but the former Wayne County health offical and ex-House Republican sought to draw sharp divides on their records and political allegiances.

Several polls show El-Sayed with a narrow lead over Rogers. Decision Desk HQ forecasts that the Democrat has a 67 percent chance of winning the seat left open by retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)

Here are three key takeaways from Wednesday’s debate.

Muslim Brotherhood claims take center stage

Rogers once again sought to tie El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, an attack El-Sayed has criticized on and off the debate stage.

“Being bought off by the Muslim Brotherhood, having donors to his campaign from Hamas that support Hezbollah. It’s not a problem? If you are going to go to the United States Senate, we need to know: Are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” Rogers asked.

Later in the debate, El-Sayed hit back, ripping his Republican opponent for questioning his “loyalty.”

“He keeps raising this question about this association with an organization I’ve never been a part of… it doesn’t make any sense, and it’s actually really quite beneath you, Mike. It’s really quite beneath you to call into question my loyalty to the Constitution,” El-Sayed said.

On the campaign trail, Rogers’s campaign has pointed to political contributions to El-Sayed from individuals connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming the Democrat “ pledged his support ” to the organization.

In 2012, El-Sayed signed an open letter in support of purging “the media and police” after the election of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, a member of the organization, The New York Times reported. The candidate has disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood, which President Trump designated as a terrorist group last year.

“I am proud of America. I’m proud to be an American,” El-Sayed said Wednesday. “I’m proud of our Constitution that guarantees all of us the right to pray as we choose to pray. And the question that you would ask that, I think, is actually really quite shameful.”

‘MAGA bingo:’ Rogers seeks distance from Trump

Rogers has repeatedly sought to distance himself from Trump amid the president’s low approval ratings. He has previously called for an immediate end to the Iran war and Trump’s trade war with Canada.

On Wednesday’s debate stage, the Republican added that the Canadian tariffs were not “well thought through.”

El-Sayed, meanwhile, has sought to make the president’s support for Rogers a central focus of the campaign.

“You cannot win this race without Donald Trump coming here and stumping for you. That’s why you begged him to come,” El-Sayed said, referring to Trump’s upcoming visit to Michigan this Sunday.

El-Sayed also bashed Rogers, telling viewers to play “MAGA bingo.”

“The thing about MAGA is, whenever they’re talking, they are trying to distract you. They’re going to use buzzwords, and I’m hoping that y’all can play at home every time you hear one of those buzzwords,” El-Sayed said.

Rogers hit back at the Trump talk, accusing his opponent of solely focusing on the president.

“The bingo game ought to be how many times can he put the word Trump in any answer that he has given in the last, whatever, 30 minutes,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”

“This is really about the best way forward for Michigan,” Rogers added.

Rogers pitches Democrats: ‘You have a home with us’

Rogers made a final pitch to Democrats in his closing remarks, arguing that his campaign is open to voters who chose moderate Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary.

If “you’re a Haley Stevens voter, and you came out of this, and you said, ‘Man, I just can’t do it. He’s too extreme…'” Rogers said. “Well, guess what? You have a home with us.”

El-Sayed beat Stevens, a House Democrat, by just one point in a nasty August primary where U.S. policy in Israel took center stage.

Rogers has sought to tout support from Democrats on the trail, even launching a “Democrats for Mike Rogers” coalition.

He also looked to tie his progressive opponent to the Democratic Socialists of America. Although he is not a member of the group, El-Sayed supports policies it supports, such as Medicare for All.

“If you start thinking about Democrats for Rogers and elected officials around the state saying too extreme, can’t do it. This, to me, is exactly the kind of thing he does. He’s really good on his feet. He’s not so good when it comes to policy,” Rogers said.