Rogers and El-Sayed are set for their first debate in Michigan's Senate race after sparring online

Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed face off Thursday in Grand Rapids in their first debate for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, a contest among the most scrutinized nationally. Weeks of online jabs and a flood of advertising precede the Nov. 3 general election, according to PBS NewsHour.

President Donald Trump, in a late Wednesday Truth Social post, called El-Sayed a "RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer" and used a different first name for him. El-Sayed, born in the U.S. to Egyptian immigrant parents, said the attacks use his name and faith to pull attention from hardship caused by Trump's policies. He trails by nearly 2-to-1 in ad spending but has traveled the state widely, while Rogers has held fewer public events.

Rogers, a former congressman unopposed in the Aug. 4 primary, has broken with Trump over the Iran war and tariffs on Canada. El-Sayed, who won his nomination by less than a percentage point over U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, is trying to reunite Democrats, and he appears Thursday with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who had endorsed Stevens.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →