SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — The second and final Senate debate is over. Now, the voters will decide whether they want Mike Rogers (R) or Elissa Slotkin (D) as their next Michigan senator.
This debate was held at our sister station WXYZ (Channel 7) in Southfield. The moderators asked several key issues on the minds of many voters in Michigan.
A key issue that the two candidates differ on is EV manufacturing.
The moderators asked if the country is investing too much in battery plants and EVs.
“I don't want to miss that next generation. And by the way, it also means saving auto jobs. It means making sure that plants like Lansing Grand River. In the heart of my district in Lansing, Michigan, we saved the 700 jobs that are at that plant because we're upgrading it. So I don't care what you want to drive, but I want to build them,” Slotkin answered.
“You are killing the car business. Please stop with the EV mandates. And so if you think about what's happening, they mandated you have to drive that car,” Rogers explained.
FOX 17 did get a moment to ask the candidates questions one-on-one. I pressed them on this issue.
We're building manufacturing jobs here in the state when it comes to EV, so would you pull back from that?
“If they should build as many EV plants as they believe the market will bear, not what the government tells them the market has to have,” Rogers said.
How do you guarantee the American workforce, predominantly the gas engine workers for engineering manufacturing, that they'll still have a job with this transition to electrification?
“We missed it with fuel-efficient vehicles. The Japanese ate our lunch. So to me, I want to... I don't care what you want to drive, but I want to build them,” Slotkin said.
Despite their differences on many issues, the two did agree on the funding of Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. Rogers mentioned having a leasing program with the country.
“To be a wealthy country when this is done, I think they should have to pay us back for the money that we've given them,” Rogers said.
“I thought it was a great moment in the debate. I actually should have pointed out when he said we should use the Ukraine Lend Lease program. That's the bill that myself and Liz Cheney sponsored and got signed into law,” Slotkin added.
The two candidates did bring out their support to the last debate. Sen. Debbie Stabenow stood next to Slotkin following the debate.
"Congresswoman Slotkin has been at the forefront on supply chain issues. You know, those jobs were all going away. They were all going away under Donald Trump and Republican policies that Mike Rogers now embraces, and now they're all coming home," Stabenow explained.
Rogers had Wyoming Sen. John Barrassoo next to him as reporters more focused their questions towards Rogers.
"Are you ready for change? You want to, you want to, you want to change the outcome of this. Let's, let's send, actually, a Michigander to Washington. Let's try that for a change," Rogers added.
America Votes
Slotkin, Rogers take part in 2nd and final debate for US Senate
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