Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Republican nominee Mike Rogers laid out competing economic and regulatory priorities in CBS News interviews published Nov. 1, with Michigan’s Senate vote set for Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Trade Partnership Worldwide calculated the $23 billion estimate in the National Taxpayers Union Foundation’s State Tariffs Tracker for executive levies on goods imported into Michigan between January 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. About 64% of the amount is linked to equipment, components and raw materials serving Michigan manufacturers, the tracker says. Its estimate draws on imports from all source countries, not Canada alone.
Rogers criticized tariffs on Canada in his interview. “I don’t like the Canadian tariffs,” he told CBS, adding that he would consider overriding President Donald Trump if talks failed to resolve the dispute. Rogers said literacy would be a focus of legislation he pursued with members of both parties. His campaign website says he will support Trump.
El-Sayed identified monopolies and oligopolies as a major economic concern. He proposed Medicare for All, a tax on billionaire wealth and a cabinet-level agency charged with regulating artificial intelligence. He also urged a halt to frontier AI research, describing the approach as a “full on pause.” El-Sayed tied his AI proposals to students’ concerns about future work and rural residents’ worries about data centers’ effects on power bills and local water.
The seat is open after Democratic Sen. Gary Peters chose not to seek another term. The Associated Press said the result could affect Democrats’ effort to win control of the Senate. The AP reported that U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers on Nov. 1; Stevens had competed against El-Sayed in the Democratic primary. Michigan voters will choose a senator for a six-year term on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
