DETROIT — Michigan Senate hopefuls Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed were within 30 miles of each other as they rallied voters for the final time Monday night. Their closing messages were much further apart. Rogers, rallying in Oakland County, a Democratic-leaning area that also has strong pockets of Republican voters, highlighted his support among Democrats and independents.
He praised the "courage" of El-Sayed's primary opponent, Haley Stevens, who endorsed Rogers on Sunday, and said the race was about the "soul of the country." About 25 miles south, in metro Detroit, El-Sayed spoke at the Majestic Theater alongside the Chicago rapper Common.
He railed against President Donald Trump and called on Democratic voters to support him out of loyalty to their "collective." "When they come for our collective, we won't back down," El-Sayed said. The two pitches reflected the closing dynamics of the cycle's highest profile race: Rogers, battling a difficult electoral environment for Republicans,