Michigan’s undecided Senate voters are deeply dissatisfied. They describe a country that feels more expensive, more divided, and less stable than it did a few years ago. Everyday expenses—from groceries and gas to utilities and health care—feel increasingly unaffordable. U.S.-Canada relations, particularly important in a state whose economy remains closely tied to manufacturing and cross-border trade, have become strained.
Earlier this month, we convened three Manhattan Institute focus groups with 20 undecided Senate voters from Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties in Metro Detroit. Participants represented a range of ages, races, occupations, and political backgrounds. Some had voted for Donald Trump. Others had voted Democratic their entire lives. What united them was uncertainty about Michigan’s Senate race and whether either candidate deserved their vote.
Finally, a reason to check your email.
Sign up for our free newsletter today.
The conditions for a classic midterm backlash were easy to spot. Grocery bills, rent, gas prices, utilities, and health-care costs surfaced repeatedly across all three groups. Participants disagreed about many things, but almost everyone felt financially squeezed.
When voters discussed why prices were rising, tariffs came up frequently. That concern carried particular weight in Michigan, where participants pointed to the state’s close economic relationship with Canada and the auto industry. Several worried that trade disputes were making life more expensive without delivering any obvious benefit to ordinary people.
Disillusionment with President Trump was also evident. Several participants who had voted for him in 2024 expressed frustration with his performance. One called him “an idiot.” Another said she often wanted him to “just shut up” and focus on governing. Even those sympathetic to parts of his agenda described disappointment with rising prices, international tensions, and his approach to the presidency.
Yet dissatisfaction with Trump did not translate into enthusiasm for the Democratic alternative. Democrats described their own party as “chaotic,” “disjointed,” and increasingly disconnected from ordinary concerns. Several wanted it to move toward the center. Independents and Republicans expressed a similar desire for moderation in the GOP. Time and again, participants called for less division and more attention to the practical concerns of daily life.
Against that backdrop, Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed faces a challenge that extends beyond disagreement with individual policies. Even some participants skeptical of him acknowledged his intelligence and education, but those qualities did little to ease concerns about his judgment, temperament, and ideological priorities—or, for one Democrat who described El-Sayed as “anti-American,” his basic outlook on the country. Was he focused on Michigan’s problems? Was he too extreme?
Socialism became one way for participants to express that tension. For many, the label carried negative associations, not overcome by appeals to the benefits of government services. Several Democrats rejected the idea outright. Others distinguished between a commitment to helping people and a political identity they regarded as radical.
Medicare for All, one of El-Sayed’s signature proposals, drew a more sympathetic response. Participants described unaffordable coverage, difficulty obtaining care, and the insecurity of losing insurance along with a job. Skeptics questioned the cost, administration, and feasibility of putting everyone into a government-run system.
But sympathy for the goal of expanding coverage did not always reflect a clear understanding of the proposal. One participant imagined keeping her existing insurance while others gained coverage, describing Medicare for All as a possible “supplement.” Another discussed it primarily in terms of benefits earned by paying into Medicare over a working lifetime. Agreement on the need for affordable care did not necessarily amount to agreement on how to provide it.
Concerns about El-Sayed’s political associations were more widely shared. Several participants alluded to his appearances alongside left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, whose comments about 9/11 troubled voters across party lines. Others worried more broadly about the activists and movements they believed surround El-Sayed. One Democrat said she did not know whether El-Sayed was personally extreme but feared that he would attract people and ideas that she did not want to encourage.
Among Jewish Democrats, these concerns were especially acute. Participants discussed El-Sayed’s response to the terror attack at a West Bloomfield, Michigan, synagogue earlier this year, and his views on anti-Semitism, Israel, and security. These were questions about communal safety at home as well as foreign policy abroad. The three participants identified as Jewish Democrats ultimately leaned toward Republican Mike Rogers.
Outside those discussions, the Middle East was generally less prominent among panelists’ concerns than prices, housing, health care, and education. Even so, the reaction to Piker’s comments—which he made before stumping for El-Sayed—showed how an association between the two could raise broader questions about the candidate’s judgment, even when foreign policy is not a voter’s overriding concern.
Rogers benefited from those doubts, as well as from perceptions of his experience and familiarity, but he inspired little enthusiasm of his own. Participants described him as self-serving, questioned his ties to pharmaceutical interests, and worried that he was too closely aligned with Trump. For some, that last concern was sufficient reason to support El-Sayed despite reservations about him.
The clearest evidence that doubts about El-Sayed were candidate-specific rather than part of a broader rejection of Democrats came from the governor’s race. Many participants who leaned toward Rogers for Senate preferred Democrat Jocelyn Benson for governor. Some had supported Haley Stevens in the Senate primary; one Republican said that she would have voted for her. These voters remained willing to support Democrats. Their hesitation concerned the particular candidate their party had nominated.
Discussions beyond the two races revealed other limits to straightforward partisan assumptions. Participants supported legal immigration while emphasizing screening, assimilation, and lawful entry. Several criticized how Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates while rejecting calls to abolish it. On artificial intelligence, enthusiasm about workplace tools coexisted with substantial anxiety about job losses. On transgender issues, the participants who spoke opposed allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports and questioned public funding for transition procedures.
When pressed for a final choice, ten participants chose Rogers, six chose El-Sayed, and four remained undecided. Rogers benefited from appearing more familiar, experienced, and less ideologically extreme, though support for him rarely amounted to enthusiasm. El-Sayed benefited from opposition to Trump and sympathy for many Democratic priorities but struggled to convince some voters that he represented the moderate, practical politics they said they wanted.
These conversations suggest caution about interpreting the eventual result as an ideological verdict. An El-Sayed victory could owe more to the traditional midterm instinct to put limits on an incumbent president than to an affirmative embrace of his political vision. An El-Sayed defeat, however, could reveal the limits of that instinct, suggesting that even voters dissatisfied with Trump may reject a Democratic nominee they regard as too extreme. The willingness of several participants to pair Benson with Rogers shows how those judgments can coexist on the same ballot.
Above all, these undecided voters were looking for reassurance. They wanted lower prices, less political conflict, and leaders focused on everyday concerns rather than ideological battles. El-Sayed’s challenge is that many voters already have reasons to oppose Trump. What they still need is a reason to trust him.
Below is a partial transcript of our conversations, selected for insight and lightly edited for clarity and length.
Participants:
Bri, a 27-year-old black woman, is a nonreligious Democrat living in Wayne County. She works as an engineering technician and voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Carmelo, a 54-year-old Hispanic man, is a Catholic independent living in Wayne County. He works in IT and voted for Harris.
Diane, a 62-year-old black woman, is a Baptist Democrat living in Wayne County. She works as an administrative assistant and voted for Harris.
Erin, a 51-year-old white woman, is a Jewish Democrat living in Oakland County. She works at a therapist’s office and voted for Harris.
Jacob, a 33-year-old white man, is a Jewish Democrat living in Oakland County. He owns a manufacturing business in Detroit and voted for Harris.
Jeff, a 76-year-old white man, is a non-religious Democrat living in Oakland County. He is a retired auto executive and voted for Harris.
Juanita, a 48-year-old black woman, is a Baptist Democrat living in Macomb County. She is a union member working in the automotive industry and voted for Harris.
Kelly, a 58-year-old white woman, is a non-religious Democrat living in Oakland County. She works as a concierge and voted for Harris.
Kenneth, a 68-year-old black man, is an omnist independent living in Oakland County. He works as a clinician and did not vote for either major-party candidate.
Lauren, a 55-year-old white woman, is a Jewish Democrat living in Oakland County. She works at a nonprofit that promotes Holocaust education and voted for Harris.
Leslie, a 65-year-old white woman, is a nonreligious Democrat living in Wayne County. She is retired and did not vote for either major-party candidate.
Mary, a 67-year-old white woman, is a Catholic Republican living in Oakland County. She is a retired school program director and voted for Trump.
Mike, a 59-year-old white man, is a Christian independent living in Macomb County. He works as a process technician and voted for Trump.
Raquel, a 42-year-old Hispanic woman, is a Catholic Democrat living in Oakland County. She is a stay-at-home mom and voted for Harris.
Roberta, a 58-year-old white woman, is a non-religious Democrat living in Wayne County. She works as an account manager and voted for a write-in candidate—her cat.
Shayla, a 40-year-old black woman, is a nonreligious independent living in Wayne County. She is a union member working as a clerk and voted for Harris.
Steve, a 55-year-old black man, is a Christian Republican living in Wayne County. He works in management and voted for Trump.
Terrence, a 59-year-old black man, is a Catholic independent living in Oakland County. He works as a driver and voted for Trump.
Tracie, a 66-year-old black woman, is a Protestant Democrat living in Oakland County. She works as a district manager and voted for Harris.
Yvette, a 50-year-old Hispanic woman, is a Catholic Republican living in Oakland County. She works in the automotive industry and voted for Trump.
MODERATOR: What is the biggest issue facing the country?
JEFF: Protecting democracy, not only in the United States but globally.
LESLIE: Truth and facts have been marginalized.
LAUREN: Anti-Semitism. Just rampant anti-Semitism in the world, in this country, and from leaders who promote hate.
KELLY: The economy. Prices, groceries, gasoline.
JACOB: Social media echo chambers are creating division and leading to a lack of shared national identity.
ROBERTA: AI being substituted for humanity.
RAQUEL: Division over beliefs, views, and values.
STEVE: Overall price hikes for everyday essentials. Everything you need to survive, from gas to groceries and basic household items. I just bought a property, and everything I needed for renovations went up more than 30 percent.
SHAYLA: The biggest issue is food and gas prices. It’s really disheartening when you go to the grocery store and a carton of eggs is $10 when it was a dollar-something just a few years ago. I just had a baby, so I have to feed myself and my family, and it’s really tough.
MIKE: Fuel. Groceries.
CARMELO: Affordability and the economy. Not the stock market but inflation.
MARY: Grocery prices.
KENNETH: Apathy. Everybody’s spirit is broken. Nobody really cares about anything anymore.
TERRENCE: The lack of vision. We’re not cohesively connected around a common goal or agenda. Everything feels fractured.
YVETTE: International relations and growing division with other countries. It feels like we have an enemy everywhere, and that creates a lot of uncertainty. The economy is another concern. You go to the grocery store, and prices have gone up dramatically over the last three or four years. The job market is totally different than it was five or eight years ago, when there seemed to be more opportunities and higher incomes. And there’s also this loss of feeling proud to be an American.
TRACIE: The economy, health care, education, and, as I get older, concerns about senior care.
JUANITA: I think about health care, education, inflation, jobs.
BRI: The economy, especially with prices being so high right now. I’m also thinking about job opportunities, health care, and issues affecting women, especially when it comes to abortion.
DIANE: Health care, the economy, and education.
MODERATOR: Many of you mentioned the economy. Tell me more about how it feels right now.
LESLIE: Gas is over $5 a gallon, whereas two years ago it was around $2.70. It has almost doubled. Groceries are way up, too.
JEFF: The gap between people who are struggling and those who are doing well is growing, and that is extremely worrisome to me.
JACOB: I think inflation started with Covid. As a manufacturer, I’m guilty of this, too. We saw prices go up from our suppliers, so we raised prices for our customers. Inflation got out of control, and tariffs only reignited that flame.
ERIN: It was Covid, and they haven’t been able to bring prices back down.
DIANE: Bad. I think it’s really getting bad, especially when it comes to gas prices. Utility prices, everything is going up—everything except paychecks.
JUANITA: These gas prices are skyrocketing. It costs me almost $100 to fill up when it used to cost $40 or $45. Rent is so high. Some of these places look terrible, and they’re charging almost $2,000 a month, not to mention another $3,000 to move in. You’re looking at $5,000 before you even get started. People don’t make that kind of money.
TRACIE: When I think about the economy, I think about sustainability. If food becomes too expensive, I think about families trying to feed their loved ones. I think about people having enough gas to get to work. I don’t know any state in the union that would say it has a good economy right now.
BRI: I can’t say Michigan is the only state being affected by this economy. I think it’s bad all over.
MODERATOR: Why are these prices going up? What’s the main reason?
MIKE: Oil.
STEVE: Oil.
CARMELO: Tariffs.
SHAYLA: Tariffs.
MARY: Tariffs.
MIKE: Tariffs.
KENNETH: Greed.
YVETTE: Tariffs.
MODERATOR: You mentioned tariffs. How are they affecting Michigan specifically? Does the state’s proximity to Canada make the impact different?
CARMELO: If you’re from Michigan, you know how interconnected we are with Canada, especially when it comes to the auto industry.
SHAYLA: When I worked for GM (General Motors), we dealt with supply issues all the time. Parts had to come from Mexico or Canada. We build the cars here, but if our relationship with Canada becomes strained because of tariffs and everything else that’s going on, it’s going to affect the auto industry in a really bad way.
MIKE: My truck was built in Canada. A lot of cars are built in Canada. Rail runs from here to Canada, trucks and everything.
YVETTE: My perception was that Canada and the United States had a stable relationship, and now it feels completely divided.
TRACIE: We live in Michigan. Canada has been an ally for as long as I can remember. We have nurses, doctors, and other workers crossing the border every day. We work side by side with Canadians. The tariffs are terrible. It just feels bad.
MODERATOR: Some of you voted for Trump in 2024. Is he doing a good job or a bad job?
MIKE: The first time around, I thought he was good. Then everything happened, Biden came in, and now he’s back and it just feels like a snowball effect. Nothing is running smoothly anymore. He thinks the United States is a business. I live paycheck to paycheck. It’s hard.
KENNETH: In the beginning, I thought he was an enigma. I thought he was exactly what the country needed at that particular moment. But as time went on, I think the neo-corporatist part started to come into play, and it ended up hurting the lower class.
MARY: I voted for Trump, and there are things I don’t like. I understand why he raised tariffs because there were huge differences between what other countries charged us and what we charged them. But the backlash is that everything gets more expensive, and that’s a real problem. I don’t think he should be imposing tariffs on every country. And sometimes I just want to tell him, “Just shut up. Do your job and stop talking.” When he talks, he creates problems with other countries and damages those relationships.
JEFF: I think Trump is an evil person. I think he has damaged the reputation of the United States around the world and done plenty of damage domestically as well. I think it will take a generation for us to recover our standing internationally.
TERRENCE: He’s an idiot. I voted for him, but it was a lesser-of-two-evils situation. As a leader, he needs to know when to be quiet. If you’re a politician and you tell people you’re going to do something, then do it. Take the Epstein files. Release it or deal with it. Children are being harmed.
MODERATOR: Some of you mentioned political division. Is that coming from the Right, the Left, or both?
ROBERTA: Both, absolutely.
LAUREN: It’s definitely on both sides. It’s coming from the Right, it’s coming from the Left, and the divide between them just keeps growing. There’s no middle anymore.
ROBERTA: I think it’s intentional because someone is making money from it. It’s profitable to keep people fighting with each other while others rake in the money and do shady things, because that’s what gets people’s attention.
LESLIE: They get people more engaged on social media so they’ll spend more time on their phones, watch more advertising, and, once again, the money ends up in the pockets of the rich.
JEFF: We don’t have to listen to the other side anymore. When I was a kid, there were three nightly news channels. If you watched Walter Cronkite, you were going to hear a pretty balanced presentation. Now I can spend all day in my own echo chamber without ever having to listen to the other side.
MODERATOR: Sometimes Democratic politicians call themselves socialists. What is your reaction when you hear a Democrat candidate describe themselves that way?
STEVE: For the people.
SHAYLA: I don’t know what it means. I don’t really understand what socialism is.
JACOB: Socialism has not worked anywhere it has been tried, and I don’t consider social services to be socialism. Social services that help people are important. As a Democrat, I’ve actually become more socially conservative and more fiscally liberal. I’m okay paying higher taxes if that money helps people who have less. What concerns me more are some of the socially liberal issues that seem to ride the coattails of socialism. A lot of people in my generation don’t see a path forward, which is why socialism can be appealing.
LAUREN: I’ve been a Democrat my whole life, but it’s becoming harder to be part of the party. The far Left is moving toward socialism, and that feels extreme to me. The Democrats of today are not the Democrats of my parents’ era, or even the Democrats I grew up with. The party has changed completely.
BRI: It doesn’t affect me. Politicians are going to say whatever they want. What matters is what they’re actually doing for the community.
MARY: In my studies, you learn a lot about the Soviets, the Cold War, and what goes on in places like North Korea. Those systems are radical, and people suffer under them. There isn’t enough food because so much money goes toward the military. I would never vote for somebody who called themselves a socialist. It goes against everything I believe is right.
KELLY: If the Democrats stick with socialism, I’m not interested. I don’t think it’s beneficial for me or my family. I don’t think it’s a workable political system.
TERRENCE: It depends on how you implement it.
YVETTE: I would not vote for socialism. I have friends and family in Venezuela and Colombia, and I’m from Mexico. Socialism destroys. The poor get poorer. That’s what I’ve seen, and that’s all the proof I need.
RAQUEL: I can’t agree with socialism 100 percent. I’m originally from Mexico, and when you come to this country, you’re taught that if you work hard, you’ll build a better life for yourself and your family. That’s what I love about America and how things work here. For me, socialism doesn’t fit with that.
CARMELO: I don’t like it. I don’t want candidates identifying with something that carries the historical association of socialism. It’s not for me.
LESLIE: I’m not a political scientist, but my understanding is political scientists define the United States as a democratic socialist country.
JEFF: I really object to the labeling, especially when none of us has a common definition.
MODERATOR: I want you to write down two words. First, describe what you’d like the Democratic Party to be in an ideal world. Then, describe what you think the Democratic Party is today.
ROBERTA: United (ideal). Disarray (today).
RAQUEL: United (ideal). Divided (today).
JACOB: Organized (ideal). Chaotic (today).
KELLY: Cohesive (ideal). Disjointed (today).
LAUREN: More moderate (ideal). Too liberal (today).
ERIN: More in the middle (ideal). More extreme (today).
JEFF: Inclusive (ideal). Chaotic (today).
LESLIE: Serve constituents (ideal). Corporate shills (today).
MODERATOR: Earlier, some of you said the Democratic Party has become too left-wing and needs to be more moderate. How many of you agree with that?
RAQUEL: They’re focusing on very extreme ideals. They would get into the LGBT movement, and then they would get into the abortion topics, and they miss some of the ideals or the values that most people believe. Not that they are not important—they are. But for the great majority or for a lot of people, they miss some of those topics that need to be addressed.
KELLY: It’s a combination of things. There are these fringe, highly liberal ideas, and it feels like the party is accepting all of them instead of drawing a line and saying, “Hold on, this is getting a little too extreme, a little too liberal, a little too far left.”
LAUREN: They’re letting anti-Semitism into the party. The Democratic Socialists are a real force now, and those fringe candidates are winning in states across the country. They’re anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, and anti-Zionist, and I think Democrats are letting those fringe elements ruin the party.
MODERATOR: When it comes to the Republican Party, would you like to see it move further to the right, or become more moderate and move toward the middle?
CARMELO: More to the middle. There’s just too much division.
SHAYLA: More to the middle.
STEVE: More to the middle.
YVETTE: More to the middle.
KENNETH: More to the middle.
MARY: They need to be a little more moderate and open themselves up. There are people in Congress, like the woman who lost the primary to Abdul, that I would have voted for.
MODERATOR: I want to talk about an issue that’s getting a lot of attention right now: AI. What’s your gut reaction to it? Is it affecting how you’re thinking about politics or your vote?
STEVE: I’m all for it. I’m all for innovation and technology. I’ve always supported it. AI is already being integrated into industries like trucking through autonomous vehicles. Yes, some people will lose jobs, but people can also learn AI and adapt to new opportunities.
MARY: I find it frightening. As a retired educator, I had students submit papers where I had to look up half the words because they had clearly been generated by AI. I’ve been teaching for 30 years. How are people supposed to write a dissertation or thesis for a master’s degree or Ph.D. if AI is doing the work for them?
CARMELO: I use it every day at work. It’s built into Salesforce, and we use it all the time. I don’t know what the long-term future looks like, but right now it makes my job a lot easier.
TERRENCE: It’s a wrap. It’s over for mankind. Not in a Terminator kind of way, but if something is making your job easier, you might not have a job in the future.
SHAYLA: I am negative about AI.
YVETTE: There are definitely advantages. There need to be guard rails and oversight. AI can bring incredible innovation and progress, but there has to be ethical leadership behind it. I don’t know exactly how that would work, but if those things can work together, I’m very optimistic about it.
ROBERTA: It’s what I wrote down as my biggest concern because it’s already affecting my industry. I’m an account manager in the building products industry, and like so many companies, mine feels pressure to incorporate AI into its workflow. I don’t even think they necessarily believe it’s better. They just feel like they have to, because it’s the buzzword right now. I think corporations see it as an opportunity to reduce labor costs.
LESLIE: AI is also contributing to climate change. Honestly, I hate AI. I really hate AI.
RAQUEL: I can see the benefits, because AI is going to become part of everyday life. But it’s also going to affect jobs everywhere. A lot of people are going to lose their jobs, and the question is: What happens afterward?
JACOB: I think AI’s biggest impact over the next seven years will be economic. I think it could create a massive bubble similar to the tech crash in the early 2000s. It’s overinflated. Too much money is being poured into it because companies feel like they’re supposed to invest in it. I’m not convinced it’s creating enough value to justify that spending.
BRI: I’m in the middle on AI. I don’t like all the data centers being built, but I can see the advantages. It can help with ideas and make certain tasks easier when you’re busy. But when it starts taking people’s jobs, that’s where I think things need to slow down. For me, the negatives outweigh the positives because of the impact those data centers have on communities.
DIANE: I’m pessimistic. I don’t care for it. In the end, people are going to lose jobs.
JUANITA: I think it’s bad news. Anytime you’re taking jobs away from people, that’s a problem. That’s no good.
LAUREN: AI has become political. When all the talk started about how AI was going to destroy everything in ten years, it quickly turned into a partisan issue. Democrats blame Republicans, Republicans blame Democrats, and it feels like another political tool that both sides are using to their advantage.
MODERATOR: Let’s talk about immigration. It’s constantly in the news. Is it something you’re thinking about? Are you concerned about who is coming into the country and who is leaving it?
SHAYLA: Not necessarily. I don’t think people coming into the country are any more dangerous than the people already here committing crimes. Just because someone comes from another country doesn’t mean they’re more frightening or dangerous than people who are already doing those things.
CARMELO: My whole family came from Italy. They went through the process and became citizens the right way. Pretty much everyone in my family feels the same way: follow the process, do it the right way, and become a citizen.
MARY: It’s easier for us because, while we do have a border with Canada, that’s not where most of the immigration issues are. States like Texas, California, Arizona, and Florida deal with it far more directly, so it affects their everyday lives. I’m only a second-generation American, and my family came here legally. They followed the process and put in the work, and I believe that’s important.
SHAYLA: What really gets me is when people say our tax dollars are paying for undocumented immigrants. They’ll say, “They’re getting food stamps, they’re getting this, they’re getting that.” But can they even get those benefits if they’re undocumented? Don’t you need documentation in the first place?
ERIN: I’m all for immigration. 100 percent. I just think the people we let into the country should assimilate to American culture. I’m not telling people how to live their private lives, but what we’ve seen happen in some other countries when the doors are wide open is a little scary.
RAQUEL: I’m all for it. But there needs to be a process. We can’t just let anyone in without some kind of screening. As an immigrant myself, I know people come here to build a better life for themselves and their families. At the same time, I recognize that not everyone comes with the same intentions.
JEFF: I agree with everything Raquel’s saying. I think our immigration system needs to be fixed, but I also know the country needs immigration to support the economy. And I think we still need to live up to the idea of E pluribus unum.
MODERATOR: Some candidates for office advocate abolishing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). What’s your reaction to that?
STEVE: I think ICE is necessary. I just think it needs to be reevaluated, especially when it comes to how it operates and how it handles things.
KELLY: Do I think we should get rid of ICE altogether? No. But I don’t like how it’s operating now, and I don’t like the way it’s been handled.
JACOB: Raquel is a shining example of immigration. She speaks the language, she wants a better life for her children, and that’s what successful immigration looks like.
TERRENCE: ICE should not be eliminated, but its officers should be properly trained. As for immigration and citizenship, I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard online that Trump was selling visas to South Americans to come here. I don’t know. That’s just something I’ve heard.
KENNETH: I’m hesitant about that because there are jobs in farming and construction that many Americans don’t want to do. There has to be some balance. If legal immigrants are coming here to fill those jobs, I don’t see a problem with it.
MODERATOR: We haven’t really talked about cultural issues. There’s a lot of discussion about transgender people. Should transgender athletes compete based on their biological sex, or the gender they identify with? Should transgender inmates be housed according to their biological sex? What are your thoughts on those issues?
STEVE: I don’t think someone born male should be playing on women’s basketball teams because, by nature, they’re stronger. I just don’t think that’s fair. I think children should be allowed to be children. Once someone reaches the age of 21, if they want to make that decision, that’s their choice.
MARY: I have no problem if someone is transgender. That’s their choice. People have to make their own decisions in life—but as adults. I also don’t think the American public should be paying for it.
SHAYLA: I don’t think transgender women should compete in women’s sports. As for health care, that’s an elective procedure. If that’s a change you want to make to your body, then you should pay for it yourself. I don’t think the public should have to.
MODERATOR: Let’s talk specifically about Michigan. With the upcoming elections, are there any particular candidates or races that you’re paying close attention to?
JEFF: There are lots of issues, but the one that keeps me up at night is what I see as the dramatically deteriorating image of the United States around the world. I want to stop Trump. At this point, I’ll do almost anything to do that.
LESLIE: I agree with Jeff about Trump. I’m really interested to see how the race between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers plays out, especially because of El-Sayed’s views on socialism and things like that.
ROBERTA: Both the governor’s race and the Senate race interest me. Am I excited about voting for a candidate? No. Am I excited about voting against one? Yes. I feel like I have to hold my nose and vote for whoever is not in lockstep with Trump.
JACOB: I’m interested in the governor’s race because of the state of education in Michigan. I’m not particularly excited about either candidate. The Senate race is my main focus as a Jew in Michigan who also agrees with Jeff that Trump is an abhorrent leader. I find myself in a moral quandary because I’ve been very clear that I cannot support Trump, but I’m also a committed Zionist.
ERIN: I’ve been a lifelong Democrat, and I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the party, from the Biden years to the candidates they’ve put forward. I’m just really upset with the Democratic Party, and I say that as someone who has been a Democrat my entire life.
BRI: Honestly, this is my first time really paying attention to politics, so I still want to do more research. I don’t particularly like either candidate, but if I had to choose today, I’d probably lean Democratic because I hope it would help somewhat.
TRACIE: I can see flaws in both Senate candidates. Ultimately, I’d choose the one I think is more sincere about Michigan’s needs, rather than someone who seems more concerned with corporations, pharma companies, and lobbyists.
MODERATOR: When you hear the name Abdul El-Sayed, what comes to mind?
ERIN: Anti-American.
SHAYLA: Based on the commercials I’ve seen, he comes across as smarmy. They keep showing that clip where he says, “I’m dangerous.” He has this smirk that makes it seem like he knows something you don’t and is going to get one over on you. That’s why I feel like I need to look into him more myself.
TERRENCE: Politician. He’s just a politician. I don’t trust what he says. He’s the perfect politician for the moment, the kind of candidate the machine has groomed to run.
KENNETH: I think he’s different. Most people fear what they don’t understand, and I honestly think he’s what the country needs right now because I’m a radical—I was born in the ’60s, grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. Politicians lie, and they’re all crooked to some degree, so I don’t trust any of them. But based on what I’ve seen of his character, and the fact that he’s being attacked so heavily, I think he represents the kind of change people are looking for.
JEFF: Passionate.
LESLIE: Upstart.
LAUREN: Jew hater.
JACOB: Angry.
MIKE: Scary. Especially because of the 9/11 stuff.
KELLY: I want to like him, but there are still some personal concerns I haven’t been able to reconcile yet.
MODERATOR: Are there any particular fears you have about Abdul El-Sayed?
MARY: I’ve heard El-Sayed talk about putting all Americans on Medicare. Medicare has a lot of benefits, and I recognize that, but putting millions of people into the system all at once doesn’t seem like a good idea. I don’t feel comfortable with that approach. I’m also concerned about some of the people he’s associated with. I didn’t hear the comments myself, but my husband looked into it, and it bothered me that someone he appeared with had made comments suggesting America deserved 9/11.
TRACIE: One concern I have is that El-Sayed campaigned with someone who made comments about 9/11. If you look at the person he was with, he’s said some pretty outrageous things, and I think elected officials have to be careful about who they choose to share a stage with. That was concerning to me.
JUANITA: I can’t support comments like that about 9/11. A lot of people lost their lives. It was a tragedy, and I don’t agree with it. That makes me look at him differently. To be honest, I don’t like it, and I don’t understand why anyone would say something like that. It’s crazy to me.
LAUREN: I’m against El-Sayed because of things he has said publicly. After the terrorist attack at Temple Israel, his response was, “hurt people hurt people,” referring to the terrorists. This was a synagogue with 140 children in it, and he doubled down on that response afterward.
JACOB: I’m out on El-Sayed completely. I’m Jewish, and, say what you want, I truly don’t believe that any self-respecting Jew can cast a vote for Abdul El-Sayed.
CARMELO: I’m about as middle-of-the-road as you can get. I try to see the best on both sides. El-Sayed is an educated guy. There’s no denying that. But he’s got to find a way to tone it down a little. He rubs people the wrong way. If you look at our governor [Gretchen Whitmer], she’s a big liberal, but she seems to know how to get along with Donald Trump. If more politicians learned how to communicate like that, I think we’d get more done. Maybe nobody gets everything they want, but that’s how compromise works. At the end of the day, I think he’s a smart guy.
TRACIE: I have friends on both sides of this issue, and one reason some of them won’t support El-Sayed is his position on abortion. Once you get into that issue, you’re also bringing religion into the conversation.
MODERATOR: What about Mike Rogers? What comes to mind when you think about him?
MARY: Well-informed. He’s been in Congress for years and has a long track record. He knows a lot about the economy and other things. There are a lot of good things about Mike Rogers, but is he in the pockets of too many pharmaceutical companies?
BRI: Mike Rogers is a Republican, and he’s been using Detroit rappers who don’t know any better in his outreach. He’s trying to use them to influence us to vote for him. That’s been a big topic lately.
KENNETH: Self-serving. He’s just interested in whatever he can get.
MIKE: Shady.
SHAYLA: I haven’t done my research on him to even know anything, to even be putting out any words. So just based on looking at something on TV or listening to the radio, I have to do my own research to figure out who this person is and what he’s like.
STEVE: Smart. And I did my research. I do it on every candidate.
CARMELO: He’s from Michigan, so “Michigander.”
TERRENCE: Not for the citizens.
ROBERTA: Is “ick” a word?
KELLY: Trumper.
LESLIE: He doesn’t have a personality of his own. He’s too tied into the whole Trump thing.
MODERATOR: One argument Mike Rogers makes in his ads is that Abdul El-Sayed is too focused on the Middle East and not focused enough on Michigan. Do you buy that?
DIANE: I wouldn’t necessarily say that, but I guess he has concerns about what’s happening over there as well as here. Rogers wouldn’t even debate him. To me, that raises questions. I think he finally agreed to do it, but he left him standing there before that.
BRI: I can understand why some people might assume El-Sayed’s more focused on the Middle East because of his background, but I don’t really agree with that. What I’m hearing doesn’t make me enthusiastic about voting for him, but I still want to learn more about what he’s trying to do for the community.
MODERATOR: What about Haley Stevens? Any thoughts on her?
MARY: The one who lost to El-Sayed. I would have voted for her. I don’t think she’s done a bad job as a congresswoman.
DIANE: I voted for Stevens [in the primary].
TRACIE: I voted for Stevens [in the primary]. She’s from Oakland County. She’s from here. I knew more about her, to be honest. I knew what she had done and what her record in politics had been up to that point. I didn’t think she would lose by such a large margin, but I saw a lot of families from the Middle East in Oakland County bringing out children who were voting for the first time. Whole families were out voting.
MODERATOR: Most black voters backed Haley Stevens in the primary. Could tensions between Detroit’s black and Arab communities affect their support for El-Sayed?
SHAYLA: That’s a really good question. I think it could matter for some people. For me, it’s still too early to say because of some of the tension I’ve been seeing lately between the two communities. There’s been a lot of tension over the past few months. But I do think it could sway a lot of people when it comes time to vote in November.
STEVE: It doesn’t really resonate with me, but I’ve heard about it. I’m going to do my research and vote for whoever I think is right.
TERRENCE: I’ve heard about it, too. I see it on television, and I see it firsthand. It is a concern, but for me it gets to the root of it all. It doesn’t matter, your race or religion. It’s about your vision.
BRI: I’ve seen some stuff on TikTok. I recently saw stories about a group of Arab men harassing a black woman. I also saw a story about a black woman being robbed by a gang of Arabic men, and a group of black men stepped in to help her. It made me wonder whether having someone like El-Sayed out there makes some people feel more empowered because they think they have someone advocating for them.
JUANITA: I honestly haven’t heard much about it.
TRACIE: I’ve heard about it. I think it’s the kind of issue that different groups can rally people around. There have been problems involving people who own gas stations and grocery stores. I don’t think this is really an El-Sayed issue, but it works well for the other side because they can use it to try to break down the black vote.
MODERATOR: For those of you who are Democrats, many voters in your party are already certain they’ll vote for El-Sayed because he’s the Democratic nominee. Why aren’t you there yet?
JEFF: I could never vote for someone who I thought was anti-Semitic.
ROBERTA: I’m wary of extremely religious people, regardless of the religion, and that includes Christians. If you’re going to cast votes based primarily on your religious beliefs, I don’t want anything to do with that.
RAQUEL: Seriously, I’m not going to vote for someone just because they’re a Democrat. Right now, the Democratic Party doesn’t always reflect my views, and I have kids who will be affected by whoever is in office.
KELLY: I’ve had to check myself when it comes to El-Sayed and ask whether some of my reaction is based on bias, whether that’s because he’s Muslim or because of his ethnicity. I wouldn’t normally expect that from myself. My bigger concern is that he could attract extremism. I don’t know that he himself is extreme, but I worry he could pull in people and ideas that I’m not comfortable with.
MODERATOR: What are your biggest hesitations about El-Sayed?
LESLIE: I think I just need to learn more about the issues he’s going to be addressing and where he stands on them.
TERRENCE: He’s just a politician. I trust nothing he says.
JUANITA: From the commercials I’ve seen, I don’t think some of his comments and connections are right. He doesn’t have my vote because I don’t like that.
CARMELO: He’s got to find a way to tone it down a little. It just rubs people the wrong way.
SHAYLA: He just seems smarmy.
MODERATOR: A couple of people have mentioned health care. El-Sayed talks about it a lot, and we hear a lot about Medicare for All in the campaign ads. What do you think of that idea? Have you heard about it before, and what’s your reaction to it?
YVETTE: I have family in Europe, and when you look at the strong countries there, they all have medical affordability. So, in the United States, it’s impressive that we don’t have it here. In Spain, it’s much better. The doctors and the hospitals and the care and everything. Even in Mexico, it’s much better.
MARY: I believe health care is a right and that people should be able to get coverage. But I think there are better ways to do that than having the government run it. I worked with people who lived in Canada, and their biggest complaint was that it isn’t really free. They pay taxes, and they still face long wait times. One friend who became a hospital vice president there said it could take six months to get an MRI and eight months to get a CT scan.
JEFF: I lived in England for four years, and on the very first day we arrived, we took our 14-year-old son, who has Type 1 diabetes, to a local clinic, and he was immediately covered. That same son lost his job about two weeks ago and is now facing roughly $1,500 a month in medical bills. So I’m all in on Medicare for All.
LESLIE: Ten years ago, I became disabled. I’m now retirement age, and without Medicare I would have died. At least once or twice.
DIANE: I think it’s a good idea. I already have health care and would probably stick with what I have, but I’ve seen commercials saying everyone would be covered whether they have insurance now or not. In some ways, that could help. It could be a supplement. For people who don’t have coverage, I think everybody should have some form of health insurance.
JUANITA: I feel like everybody needs health care because some people haven’t been to the doctor in years. They don’t have the money or the insurance. I have excellent coverage, but the next person probably hasn’t even had a checkup in ten or 15 years because they don’t have any coverage.
MODERATOR: What do you see as the potential downsides of a system like that?
STEVE: Can we afford it? Can the country afford it? That’s the downside. Nobody is really explaining how they’re going to achieve it, or whether it’s even achievable in the first place.
KENNETH: I don’t see it as a benefit. I see it as an entitlement, because you’ve put money into the system. If you’ve worked, paid in, and reached retirement age without health-care benefits, what else are you supposed to have?
BRI: It will come out of taxpayer dollars.
MODERATOR: For those of you in a union, does that affect how you think about health care, or whether the government could do a better job than unions or employers when it comes to providing coverage?
SHAYLA: Based on my experience when I was in the union at GM, and looking at how unions operate now, it feels like they’re in cahoots with the government. We pay union dues, but some of the things they used to go to bat for us on, they don’t anymore. They [unions] are not really for the people.
MODERATOR: In the governor’s race, it’s Jocelyn Benson for the Democrats and John James for the Republicans. If the election were held today, who would you vote for?
STEVE: Benson.
SHAYLA: Benson.
MIKE: Myself. Nobody. I don’t know either one of them yet.
CARMELO: Benson, because those two [Benson and Mike Rogers] cancel each other out.
MARY: John James.
YVETTE: Benson. To even it out with Mike Rogers.
ROBERTA: Benson.
RAQUEL: Benson.
JACOB: Benson.
LAUREN: Benson.
LESLIE: Benson.
TRACIE: Benson.
DIANE: Benson.
BRI: Undecided.
JUANITA: Benson.
TERRENCE: Benson.
JEFF: Benson.
ERIN: James.
KELLY: Benson.
KENNETH: Benson.
MODERATOR: If the Senate election were held today, who would you vote for, Abdul El-Sayed or Mike Rogers? Even if you’re only 51 percent one way or the other, pick a candidate and tell us why.
CARMELO: Mike Rogers. Based on his experience.
MIKE: Mike Rogers. I trust him more.
SHAYLA: Abdul El-Sayed because he’s more progressive.
STEVE: Mike Rogers. I believe he’s more for the people.
YVETTE: Mike Rogers. Even though he’s a Republican, I don’t think he’s such a radical Republican, and it seems like he cares about the people.
TERRENCE: Rogers. Because I don’t trust a doctor.
KENNETH: El-Sayed because I think he’s more for the people. And I think this country needs to be shaken up.
BRI: Undecided.
MARY: Rogers. I trust him more than I do El-Sayed.
JEFF: El-Sayed. He’s anti-Trump, for Medicare for All, and he supports Ukraine and getting out of Iran.
ROBERTA: El-Sayed because I can’t vote for Rogers who is a Trumper.
LESLIE: El-Sayed because he will not kowtow to Trump.
ERIN: Rogers because he’s not against Jews.
KELLY: Rogers because he’s not El-Sayed. Trump will be gone in two years and hopefully that’ll help.
JACOB: Rogers. He doesn’t hate Jews.
JUANITA: Undecided.
RAQUEL: El-Sayed, only because he is the opposite party that the president is.
DIANE: Still undecided, but I’m getting close.
LAUREN: Rogers because I can’t vote for someone who does not support Jewish security and safety.
TRACIE: I’m still weighing that choice. It’s not like there’s a third person to vote for. I’m still trying to figure it out, to be honest with you.