(The Center Square) – Democrat Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers were confirmed Tuesday night as party nominees for the U.S. Senate as Michigan held its primary election.
Current U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, will retire after finishing her current term.
Stabenow joined Slotkin on stage after the race was called, and offered her endorsement. Slotkin beat actor Hill Harper with more than 76% percent of the vote, and ogers defeated former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash and physician Dr. Sherry O’Donnell with 63.3% of the vote. Rogers is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, while Amash was backed by libertarian politicians like Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY.
The Cook Political Report lists the race as a toss-up, while Sabato’s Crystal Ball and “The Hill” both say it leans Democratic. The Great Lakes state has not had a Republican senator since 2001.
According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, more than 1 million votes were cast early in the Michigan primary, in a state with more than 8.3 million registered voters. At the close of early voting on Sunday evening, 73,531 Michiganders cast a ballot at an early voting site, while 970,041 voters mailed in an absentee ballot.
Unlike many other states, Michigan residents can only vote for one party in their primaries. The state does not allow for split ticket votes during primaries, but does during general elections.
