Michigan Dems clash on campaign cash, health care in heated US Senate debate

Haley Stevens, Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed share stage in Democratic US Senate debate at Mackinac Policy Conference
In tense exchanges, candidates traded jabs over AIPAC funding, Medicare for All and AI data centers
Republican Mike Rogers spoke in a separate segment, saying Michigan must accept it is ‘a state that is in decline’

MACKINAC ISLAND — In front of a crowd of business and political elites, Michigan’s three Democratic US Senate candidates traded jabs on foreign policy, fundraising and health care during a heated debate on Thursday at the Mackinac Policy Conference.

US Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed are locked in a tight race — and it showed in a series of tense exchanges.

Stevens leaned into what she calls her “love letter to Michigan” by mentioning the state and its people nearly 50 times, vowing to be an effective senator for the state, while McMorrow argued her work in the Legislature is proof she can work on bipartisan deals and “lead from Michigan.”

El-Sayed more frequently mentioned billionaires, proposing a 7% tax on wealth while arguing the rich have “already won capitalism.” Even after such a tax, “What would they still be? … billionaires,” he said.

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Michigan’s Senate race is considered one of the only true toss-ups in the country this year, and one that could help shape majority control in Washington. Most recent polls have shown the Democratic candidates statistically tied or close to it, with more than a third of primary voters still undecided.

Ahead of the debate, presumed Republican nominee Mike Rogers took the Mackinac stage for a 30-minute conversation with reporter Rick Albin, discussing education, manufacturing, energy and other issues without mentioning his potential Democratic rivals once.

“We also have to be bold enough to accept the fact that we are a state that is in decline,” Rogers said, citing “increasing costs on doing business, increasing regulation, making it harder for our oil and gas producers here in the state of Michigan.”

Foreign policy and AIPAC

The war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s foreign policy were frequent topics in the Democratic debate, as candidates united to criticize the president but illustrated distinctly different foreign policy priorities.

Stevens chastised Trump for decimating the US Agency for International Development and said she wanted peace between Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia and China and Taiwan.

“Peace always has to be the long-term goal,” Stevens said. “When you remove the tools from our toolkit, you fail this country and you fail us to allow us to work alongside our allies.”

Retiring US Sen. Gary Peters looks on as Democrats seeking to replace him debate. (Simon Schuster/Bridge Michigan)

El-Sayed said he’s against using taxpayer dollars to “to fund bombs and tanks for other countries when we got kids who can’t afford basic things in our own” country.

He said he supports upholding international law and supports aiding Ukraine in resisting Russia’s invasion, however.

McMorrow also criticized Trump for related spending, saying he “needs $1.5 trillion to carry out his war in Iran.” While Trump has proposed a $1.5 trillion defense budget for the upcoming fiscal year, his request didn’t distinguish between regular funding and funding for the war with Iran.

Stevens has taken flack for the millions of dollars in support she’s received during her Congressional career from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel group more commonly known as AIPAC. The Detroit News recently reported that 31% of Stevens’ donors who gave more than $200 this cycle have also donated to AIPAC.

When asked by moderator Stephen Henderson “what that money means, what it buys and maybe what it doesn’t,” Stevens dodged the question.

“Folks, my campaign is a love letter to our state,” Stevens responded, before saying that “Michiganders are frustrated because we have not done comprehensive campaign finance reform”

El-Sayed — who along with McMorrow and Sen. Elissa Slotkin supports ending offensive military aid to Israel — was more direct.

He argued the AIPAC money “buys $3.5 billion sent to a foreign military that can be used here to give glasses here to provide health care here to build schools here — that’s where our money should be used.”

McMorrow, El-Sayed spar on AI, health care

El-Sayed attacked McMorrow for her 2024 vote to give sales and use exemptions to data centers who promise to spend over $250 million on development and create at least 30 jobs.

McMorrow had cited her proposals to create an artificial intelligence safety law and institute a “token tax” on commercial AI use to generate revenue for apprenticeship programs for career skills AI cannot easily replace.

“It’s not enough,” El-Sayed said, calling McMorrow’s bills a “token thing.” He said AI should be regulated as a public utility.

El-Sayed has made the passage of a “Medicare for All” policy a cornerstone of his campaign, telling the crowd that implementing a universal health care program is one of his top three goals if elected: “Get money out of politics, put money in your pocket and pass Medicare for All.”

McMorrow argued El-Sayed’s proposal is unrealistic, saying “people can’t afford to wait for a revolution that may never come. People who are rationing their insulin right now can’t afford to wait for Medicare for All.”

She argued there are more immediate policies that could be used to make health care more affordable in the near term and to “create a real public option that gives people choice and that forces private health insurance companies to bring their costs down.”

El-Sayed fired back: “The revolution is definitely not coming if we’re not fighting for it. So, let’s play a game. If you’re on the stage and you have never taken a corporate pack check from Blue Cross Blue Shield, raise your hand.”

Stevens, in a jest, then raised her hand to point to a banner above the stage, where Michigan’s largest health care company was listed as a sponsor.

Federal campaign finance records show Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s political action committee gave Stevens’ US House campaign $2,500 in April 2025. McMorrow’s state senate campaign received $5,500 over six years from a BCMC-affiliated PAC, according to state campaign finance records.

Agreements: Filibuster, rising antisemitism

All of the Democratic candidates agreed that they’d like to end the US Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass most nonbudget legislation through the upper chamber, typically meaning some level of bipartisan support.

Sens. Elissa Slotkin and the outgoing Gary Peters have not called to end the filibuster, which supporters say promotes legislative compromise.

But Stevens said the filibuster should be abolished “so we can codify health care.” El-Sayed said ending the filibuster would “expose Senators to democracy again” and McMorrow said “too often Democrats are protecting Republicans from their own bad decisions.”

The candidates also stood together by acknowledging antisemitism within the Democratic Party.

McMorrow told the crowd that during a recent Michigan Democratic Party convention, someone yelled an antisemitic slur at her husband, who is Jewish, as he walked with their daughter.

The notion that criticism of Israel’s government could turn into “an anti-American Jewish message is dangerous,” McMorrow said.

Stevens noted a synagogue in her district, Temple Israel, was subjected to an attack which Trump administration officials have said was committed by a Dearborn resident.

El-Sayed, who has faced criticism for campaigning with an online personality accused of antisemitism, said that as a Muslim, he knows what it’s like to be discriminated against because of the way he prays.

“I think it’s absolutely critical for us to differentiate between love, respect and admiration for Judaism and the Jewish people, and a continued policy that has us sending our money to a foreign government,” he said, referring to the Israeli government.