GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan’s closely watched U.S. Senate race took center stage Thursday night as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers squared off in Grand Rapids.

The race to fill Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat could help determine control of the chamber during President Donald Trump’s final two years in office.

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The debate featured frequent interruptions and heated exchanges, with both candidates insisting their opponent’s comments warranted a response. WOOD TV8 moderator Rick Albin intervened several times during the one-hour debate to move the discussion along.

One of the sharpest exchanges centered on Rogers’ allegations that El-Sayed had accepted campaign contributions from people and groups with ties to terrorist organizations. The debate came one day after the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.  El-Sayed, whose support among Jewish voters is already on shaky ground, made no public comment about the anniversary Wednesday, leaving open the question of whether his silence was a political calculation to avoid further controversy.

The allegations surrounding El-Sayed’s campaign contributions had Rogers comparing his Democratic opponent to “a glitchy AI chatbot” that repeats the same points and accused him of accepting money from individuals who support Hamas, Hezbollah and al-Qaida.

Another point of contention involved El-Sayed’s medical credentials. During the opening question, Albin addressed El-Sayed as “doctor.” El-Sayed holds a medical degree from Columbia University and a doctorate in public health from Oxford University, although reporting on his credentials has found that he has never held a medical license in Michigan or New York.

Rogers challenged both Albin’s use of the title and El-Sayed’s characterization of his credentials.

“He’s not really a doctor,” Rogers said, calling El-Sayed a “con” and arguing that he could face criminal penalties for treating patients without a license.

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El-Sayed defended his credentials, pointing to his medical school training.

Asked about gasoline prices, both candidates supported temporarily suspending gas taxes. El-Sayed blamed Trump’s policies and the ongoing war in Iran for higher prices at the pump.

“When I go to the gas station, I don’t feel like I’m winning,” El-Sayed said.

Rogers supported suspending both state and federal gas taxes, while saying Michigan Senate Democrats had voted against a suspension. Both candidates said the war in Iran needed to end.

Health care also exposed differences between the candidates. El-Sayed reiterated his support for Medicare for All while saying people should be able to retain private insurance.

“If people want to keep private insurance, that’s fine with me,” El-Sayed said.

Rogers argued that El-Sayed’s proposal would eliminate private insurance options, increase government control over health care and cost families an additional $20,000.

Immigration also came under scrutiny. El-Sayed has called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On Thursday night, he advocated a pathway to citizenship.

“We need a pathway to citizenship for folks stuck in limbo right now,” he said.

El-Sayed and Rogers will debate again Wednesday, Oct. 21, on WXYZ-TV Channel 7 in Detroit.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.