Slotkin maintains a slight lead as her Senate race in Michigan remains too early to call

DETROIT — The race for Michigan's open Senate seat between Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Republican former congressman Mike Rogers remained too early to call Wednesday after results in other states showed Democrats lost their slim majority in the upper chamber.

Slotkin had a clear head start as her campaign began, but as Republicans became more confident about Donald Trump's presidential prospects in Michigan, the contest drew more attention from funders who believed Rogers had a good chance of becoming the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in the state in 30 years.

Slotkin held a slim lead Wednesday afternoon with close to 96% of the vote counted.

Early Wednesday in Detroit, Slotkin took the stage to thank her supporters, while reflecting on national results that showed Republican gains.

“We have had difficult periods in our history before,” Slotkin told the watch party in downtown Detroit. “Over the next few days, the results will come into focus and the task before us will be to come together."

Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and third-term representative, launched her Senate campaign shortly after Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced her retirement in early 2023. With a largely uncontested primary, Slotkin built a significant fundraising advantage and poured it into advertising. Her high-profile supporters included forer President Barack Obama and Stabenow, who helped her on the campaign trail.

On the Republican side, Rogers faced multiple challengers for the party’s nomination, including former Reps. Justin Amash and Peter Meijer, the latter of whom withdrew before the Aug. 6 primary. Rogers served in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2015 and chaired the House Intelligence Committee.

Rogers would become the first Republican since Spence Abraham in 1994 to win a U.S. Senate race in Michigan.

Trump won Michigan in 2016 by just over 10,000 votes, marking the first time a Republican presidential candidate had secured the state in nearly three decades. This time, he expanded that margin to about 80,000 votes.

The presidential race at the top of the ticket was expected to significantly influence the outcome. Rogers repeatedly accused Slotkin of voting “100% with the Biden-Harris agenda” and aligned himself closely with Republican nominee Donald Trump, who endorsed him.

Rogers energized a west Michigan crowd late Monday night, just before Trump’s final campaign rally in Grand Rapids, assuring voters, “Come tomorrow, we will have your backs.” Later, Trump praised Rogers on stage, calling him “amazing” and saying he was “doing great.”

Slotkin and other Michigan Democrats focused much of their campaigns on reproductive rights, arguing that Republican opponents would back a national abortion ban, although Rogers said he wouldn't. How effectively the issue motivated voting in a state where reproductive rights were enshrined in the constitution by Michigan voters in 2022 remained to be seen on Election Day.

About 4 in 10 Michigan voters said the economy and jobs is the top issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 110,000 voters nationally, including about 3,700 voters in Michigan. About 2 in 10 Michigan voters said immigration is the most pressing issue, and roughly 1 in 10 named abortion.

Slotkin used her funding advantage to establish her narrative early, aiming to connect both with her base and disillusioned Republicans.

“For the Republicans who feel like their party has left them over the last few years, you will always have an open door in my office,” Slotkin said during their only debate.

Metro Detroit was expected to be an area of vulnerability for Sloktin, with frustration over the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war affecting down-ballot Democrats. Slotkin, who is Jewish, has supported Israel while criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many leaders of the state's large Muslim community voiced frustration that she and other Democrats haven't advocated more forcefully for Palestinians.