Earlier this month, our campaign kicked off a week-long town hall tour in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
Many of our stops were in towns Trump won by thirty points. Pundits laughed in our faces. My opponent told reporters we should expect “a cold welcome.” But I went anyway.
EL-SAYED RALLYGOERS URGE ‘MAJOR CHANGE’, CASH HANDOUTS TO FIGHT COST CRISIS
I went for the mom in Escanaba who shared her excitement that this was the first political rally she’d attended in her life — not because she’d lacked interest, but because “no one ever comes to Escanaba.”
I heard that kind of thing a lot. In Iron Mountain, Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Petoskey, Midland, and Caro, I spoke with Michiganders who had felt ignored and overlooked by our politics.
FOX NEWS POLL: MICHIGAN VOTERS SPLIT BETWEEN EL-SAYED AND ROGERS
Both parties are to blame for this feeling of neglect all across the UP and Northern Michigan. Republicans take these voters for granted. Most Democrats don’t even bother campaigning there.
I’m running for Senate because no Michigander deserves to be left behind. That’s why we’ve held over 700 events in over 120 cities. I’ve sat down with Michiganders from all walks of life, all of whom are hurting from the Rogers-Trump agenda and are hungry for change.
We’re seeing historic momentum in unlikely places. Rural districts, from Escanaba to Port Huron to Cadillac, are showing up and showing out for our campaign. Hundreds of former Trump voters line up for hours to attend our town halls.
Because they know they deserve better. They deserve not to suffer under a broken system that’s been broken since long before Trump.
DAVID MARCUS: THE 5 FACTORS THAT COULD DECIDE MICHIGAN’S TIGHT AND UGLY SENATE RACE
So I mean it when I say our campaign is open to all who are in search of a better future. As senator, I will always put Michigan first and fight for each and every member of our state.
The greatest gift of campaigning has been events like our tour stops, where I get to meet with Michiganders who trust me with their stories and struggles. No matter where I go, I’m hearing the same thing: It shouldn’t be this hard.
Whether it’s that mom in Escanaba or a farmer in Ithaca or a teacher in Detroit, working Americans are struggling to afford gas, groceries, and healthcare while billionaires and corporations grow richer and richer.
EL-SAYED, ROGERS CLASH OVER MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, TRUMP AND GUNS: 5 FIERY DEBATE MOMENTS
This is what the disastrous Rogers-Trump agenda has left us.
Experts estimate that the average Michigan household is paying a whopping $5,600 due to Trump’s tariffs, in addition to spending about $20 more every time they fill up a tank as a result of Trump’s dangerous Iran war.
The numbers speak for themselves. Working Michiganders are going through hell—and our president isn’t doing a thing to help. He’s just making it worse.
SCHOEN, COOPERMAN: DEMOCRATS CLOSE IN AS REPUBLICANS SCRAMBLE TO HOLD CONGRESS
But my opponent, Mike Rogers, thinks the trade war is “an absolute win” and that the Iran War is a “win-win-win.”
When we last met on the debate stage, all Rogers could say was that the last two years of Trump’s presidency have been “amazing.”
And for Trump and Rogers, perhaps they have been. Trump reported at least $2.2 billion in income in 2025, his first year back in office, and since leaving Congress, Rogers ballooned his net worth to $14.6 million by advising the very corporations he was in charge of regulating as a legislator.
Rogers’ playbook is clear. He’s just another cog in the political machine that delivers for special interests over the public. He’s running for office to enrich himself at the expense of Michiganders, just as he’s done before.
Throughout his time in Congress, Mike Rogers took over $1 million from Big Pharma, then voted 19 times against expanding children’s health coverage and lowering prescription drug costs.
Mike Rogers took millions from Big Oil — then voted to raise gas prices.
Mike Rogers took millions from Wall Street — then voted for higher credit rates.
Mike Rogers took millions from Trump-aligned super PACs, then backed Trump’s dangerous war with Iran, even as gas and groceries spike for Michiganders.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
To spell it out more clearly: Rogers wins when working Michiganders lose.
I’m running because I believe in a better way.
I believe we win when we put Michigan first — not billionaires or special interests or corporations.
That’s why my campaign is built around three simple principles: money out of politics, money in your pocket, and Medicare for All.
Together, we can put an end to politics as usual.
This Election Day, we can send Rogers home to his Florida mansion and vote for a leader who will always put Michigan first.