Republicans gathered in a Livingston County airplane hangar to rally support for their slate of candidates as time winds down on the midterm election.
Vice President JD Vance gave shoutouts to other candidates in attendance at the rally but spent most of the time focusing on the U.S. Senate race between GOP candidate Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.
“Mike Rogers is fighting to give power back to the people by investing in our country and given that Abdul El-Sayed allegedly came from Egypt, maybe he just wants to give a little bit more to his former neighbors,” Vance said.
El-Sayed was born in Rochester Hills, Mich. – something Vance noted earlier in his speech.
Republicans are facing a more skeptical electorate than usual as gas and diesel fuel prices spiked after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on Iran earlier this year. The administration is reportedly weighing further attacks but waiting until after the election.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Congressional Budget Office have both attributed the rise in prices to the war on Iran, and Michigan is being hit particularly hard.
However, Vance placed blame for high energy costs on “tinpot dictators” and renewable energy policies put forth by Democrats.
In campaign ads, Rogers has called for an end to the conflict with Iran but stopped short of calling out the president directly.
The vice president said he doesn’t mind that Rogers has distanced himself from some of Trump’s policies.
“I don't want in Mike Rogers a servant for the administration. I want in Mike Rogers a servant for the people of Michigan,” Vance said.
In his speech, Rogers largely eschewed any talk of policy and instead attacked El-Sayed.
“It's not about how you pray; it is how you think,” Rogers said. “This guy's ideology is extreme.”
El-Sayed is Muslim and Rogers continued to make spurious claims about a relationship to the Egyptian-founded group Muslim Brotherhood.
Quick Hits
Congressman Tom Barrett, who is running for re-election in Michigan’s 7th district, spent much of his speech talking about other candidates running for statewide office. He did not shy away from support for Trump in giving the crowd reasons to vote in the election.
“We would reverse our progress on reducing fentanyl, reducing crime and putting American families first,” Barrett said.
Michigan gubernatorial candidate John James gave an optimistic get-out-the-vote speech that touched on many Republican priorities.
“If you like your Second Amendment rights, you better vote like it,” James said. “If you want to make sure that we have safer streets and your daughter can walk home safely at night or through her locker room after the game, you better vote like it.”
Election Day is Nov. 3. Officials say that if you still need to turn in your absentee ballot, do so at a dropbox, as it could be too late to be delivered on time if it’s put in the mail.
This story is part of a series previewing major local races in the 2026 midterm elections. Click here for more of WEMU's local election coverage.
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