Mike Rogers defends skipping Michigan Senate event: “We never agreed to it”

Updated on: September 16, 2026 / 10:34 AM EDT / CBS Detroit

Republican Mike Rogers is defending his decision not to attend a Sept. 15 televised event with Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's U.S. Senate race, saying he never agreed to participate and accusing the moderator of favoritism.

"Well, first of all, it's not a debate. It's a town hall. We never agreed to it," Rogers said in a one-on-one with CBS News Detroit.

El-Sayed took part in Tuesday's event on FOX 2 Detroit. The station said it invited both candidates on Aug. 5 and that El-Sayed accepted the next day. Rogers' campaign says it never agreed to attend.

The general election matchup between El-Sayed and Rogers is one of the most closely watched contests in the country. UVA Center for Politics rates the race as a toss-up. The Senate seat, being opened up by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, is a must-win for control of the upper chamber.

Rogers' campaign released a statement accusing the station of favoritism and suggesting the moderator had already taken sides. Rogers made the same argument in his interview.

"When you have someone who's already picked their candidate, you can't have a two-on-one…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/