Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers confirmed he will not participate in a debate scheduled for Tuesday evening, due to concerns the television anchor moderating the event is biased in favor of his Democratic rival.
Rogers, the Republican embroiled in running a tight race against Democrat Abdul el Sayed, declined to participate in the Fox Two Detroit TV debate, accusing moderator Roop Raj of favoritism, including by praising el Sayed as “brilliant.” The Rogers campaign said he remains committed to two previously scheduled debates with el Sayed on different networks set to take place just weeks before the November election.
“Michiganders deserve to see their candidates engage in a healthy, fair debate, not one compromised by media bias,” Alyssa Brouillet, Rogers’s communications director, said. “Roop Raj has made his position clear, from praising Abdul as ‘brilliant’ to being celebrated by Hasan Piker as ‘my GOAT,’ and bragging about his political stunts.”
El Sayed has repeatedly sought to needle Rogers into participating in the Raj-moderated debate. Rogers has agreed to participate in the coming weeks in an Oct. 8 Wood TV8 debate in Grand Rapids, moderated by Rick Alpin, and an Oct. 21 WXYZ TV Channel 7 debate in Detroit hosted by Chuck Stokes, his campaign emphasized.
El Sayed will still do a solo appearance with Raj during the debate’s scheduled time slot Tuesday, according to Fox Two. The network said it would leave an open podium on the stage for Rogers.
Fox Two, along with the Michigan Debate Committee, sent invitations on Aug. 5, the day after the primary election in Michigan, to both candidates to attend Tuesday’s debate, according to the network. El Sayed agreed to attend the debate the following day. The Rogers campaign initially acknowledged receipt of the invite, but formally declined to participate on Tuesday morning, it said.
The Michigan Senate race is one of the tightest nationwide, with Democrats fighting to stave off Republican efforts to flip the seat red. Polls paint a razor-thin election, as Rogers looks to break historical trends. A Republican hasn’t won a Michigan U.S. Senate race since 1994.
Both candidates are running to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), who has held the seat for two six-year terms.