(CNN) – Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Senate in Michigan, is ramping up his efforts to win over Democrats following their party’s choice of progressive Abdul El-Sayed as their nominee in this key race.
In a new video shared first with CNN, Rogers speaks directly into the camera to address Democrats who are disillusioned after their primary on Tuesday. El-Sayed, a former public health official, narrowly beat Rep. Haley Stevens by just 1 percentage point in a heated contest that left some supporters feeling upset.
“If you’re among the majority of Democratic voters who woke up on Wednesday feeling, well, hopeless because the person who won does not represent your values, well, just know, there is still hope,” Rogers says. “Michigan deserves a senator who is ready to sit with you, hear from you and represent you.”
Democratic leaders from Washington to Michigan have quickly thrown their support behind El-Sayed. However, Republicans aim to highlight ongoing rifts stemming from the tough primary fight. Stevens has already endorsed El-Sayed and they both embraced at a unity event on Thursday. Both candidates have criticized Rogers while emphasizing the importance of keeping this seat in Democratic hands come November.
In his video message, Rogers sits next to his wife Kristi and targets specific voter groups like young people looking for affordable housing options. He tells them they “have a home with” his campaign and pledges to work diligently to gain their backing.
El-Sayed has also made overtures towards bipartisanship. In his victory speech on Wednesday, he welcomed anyone to join his campaign “if you supported me or you did not support me, if you voted for Vice President [Kamala] Harris in 2024 or you voted for Donald Trump.”
At the same time, El-Sayed hasn’t held back criticism toward Rogers, labeling him as aligned with corporate interests and someone who aims to “lick every single boot Donald Trump owns.”
The US-Israel relationship became one of the main points of contention during the Democratic primary. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee invested over $30 million through its super PAC against El-Sayed due to his critical stance on Israel. After his victory, they stated that their members “remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda in November.”
Rogers doesn’t explicitly mention Jewish voters in the video but repeats past criticisms regarding El-Sayed’s campaigning alongside Twitch streamer Hasan Piker-who had previously claimed America “deserved” the September 11 attacks but later apologized for those remarks.
“And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence and views that are out of touch with your values, well, you have a home with us,” Rogers says.
Democrats plan to keep pushing for unity with a rally scheduled for Friday in Detroit featuring former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg who resides in Michigan.
The-CNN-Wire
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