Rogers, El-Sayed meet in Southfield for final U.S. Senate debate

Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed faced off Wednesday night in Southfield in the final debate of the race for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, 13 days before the Nov. 3 election, WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) reported.

The debate was held at WXYZ in Southfield and moderated by 7 News Detroit anchors Carolyn Clifford and Alicia Smith and 7 News Detroit Editorial Director Chuck Stokes, the station reported. The winner will fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters.

Costs and tariffs

In his opening statement, Rogers focused on lost Michigan manufacturing jobs and high utility and auto insurance costs, and accused El-Sayed of wanting to raise taxes, according to WDIV-TV (Channel 4). In his opening statement, El-Sayed said he would bring down the cost of living and accused Rogers of standing closely with President Donald Trump and his policies, WDIV reported.

El-Sayed tied Rogers to Trump throughout the debate, saying Rogers would bend to the president, according to WXYZ. Rogers countered that El-Sayed kept working Trump's name into his answers, both stations reported.

On tariffs, El-Sayed said they should be used in a targeted way to protect auto industry growth and jobs, rather than what he called a haphazard approach backed by Rogers, according to WXYZ. Rogers said he had stepped back and concluded the Canadian tariffs may not have been well thought through, citing the just-in-time manufacturing ties between automakers and Canada, the station reported.

Immigration, public safety, health care and voting

Rogers defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying the agency has pursued murderers, gang members, drug dealers and human traffickers and has had a major impact on crime, WDIV reported. El-Sayed criticized ICE's tactics, saying agents do not have to identify themselves or explain why they are there, according to the station.

On public safety, Rogers accused El-Sayed of wanting to defund law enforcement, which El-Sayed denies, WDIV reported. El-Sayed said he would fund police recruitment, retention and retirement along with behavioral health response and community violence intervention programs, Michigan Public reported.

Rogers said other Democrats would not support El-Sayed's Medicare for All plan because it is extremely expensive, and El-Sayed accused Rogers of being too close to the pharmaceutical industry, WDIV reported.

Asked about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a Republican-backed bill that WDIV described as requiring photo ID at the polls and other outlets have described as requiring proof of citizenship to register, El-Sayed said he opposes it and called it voter suppression, and Rogers said he would support it, calling voter ID a reasonable request, according to WDIV.

Iran

On Iran, El-Sayed said the threat from Iran had been contained through diplomacy during the Obama administration, WXYZ reported, and accused Rogers of promoting war for years, according to WDIV. Rogers said El-Sayed could not condemn Iran's Revolutionary Guard, according to WXYZ, and warned that letting Iran obtain a nuclear weapon could push gas to $8 a gallon, WDIV reported.

The debate's most contentious moment came when Rogers sought to tie El-Sayed to terrorist organizations in the Middle East, citing the Muslim Brotherhood and campaign donors he linked to Hamas and Hezbollah, WXYZ reported. El-Sayed said he has never been part of the organization Rogers named and said it was beneath Rogers to call his loyalty to the Constitution into question, according to the station.

The candidates also debated education and cybersecurity, WDIV reported.

After the debate

Both campaigns declared victory in statements Wednesday night. Rogers' campaign said voters "cannot trust or afford" El-Sayed. El-Sayed's campaign accused Rogers of lies and bad-faith attacks and said he spoke for Trump, drug companies and billionaires. The state party chairs, Republican Jim Runestad and Democrat Curtis Hertel, backed their candidates, RealClearPolitics reported.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Rogers denied that his Muslim Brotherhood remarks were aimed at El-Sayed's religion, saying his concern was ideology, Michigan Public reported.

Bridge Michigan fact-checked several claims from both candidates:

• Drug and utility money: El-Sayed's claims about Rogers' past contributions from DTE and drug companies have some truth but are years old, Bridge found. The DTE money came from the company's PAC between 2001 and 2014, not to his current campaign.
• Muslim Brotherhood: El-Sayed has publicly disavowed the group, and a previous Bridge fact-check found no evidence for Rogers' claim that El-Sayed had pledged support to it.
• NAFTA: Rogers said the trade deal passed before he entered Congress. Bridge found he said in a 2000 debate that it would be good for America in the long run.
• "Open borders": El-Sayed has not called for fully open borders, Bridge found, though he has said undocumented taxpayers should be covered under Medicare for All.
• Schumer and outside money: El-Sayed did meet with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in September. Overall outside spending in the race favors Rogers, Bridge reported.

Sources: WXYZ-TV, debate recap, Oct. 21, 2026; WXYZ-TV, full debate updates, Oct. 21, 2026; WDIV-TV, debate opening statements, Oct. 21, 2026; WDIV-TV, debate recap, Oct. 21, 2026; Bridge Michigan fact check, Oct. 21–22, 2026; Michigan Public, Oct. 22, 2026; RealClearPolitics via Yahoo, Oct. 22, 2026; Rogers campaign statement; El-Sayed campaign statement.