Michigan Senate Voters Cite Cost of Living Over Rhetoric
Despite escalating personal attacks in the Senate race, many residents in Michigan say they are exhausted by the campaign and focused on daily expenses.
By Pablo Serrano ·
President Trump called Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a "jihadist" while campaigning in Michigan for Republican nominee Mike Rogers.
The personal nature of the attacks contrasts with the primary concerns of voters in the state. Michel Martin, reporting from Ann Arbor, told NPR host Steve Inskeep that local reporters found the heated rhetoric was not top of mind for residents.
Voters expressed worry about the price of gas, groceries, and health care. Martin said many people she spoke with were burned out by the process.
At a University of Michigan football tailgate, Nick Janosi said he plans to vote for El-Sayed. He said he would love to see more independent, middle-of-the-road candidates that kind of take the best of both parties.
Josh Snell shared similar frustration with the two-party system at a Detroit Lions tailgate. He said he would probably vote for Rogers, citing his opposition to Trump's Canadian tariffs.
Martin observed a growing reluctance among voters to speak openly about their political views. Snell said a lot of people are afraid because of the violence involved. Inskeep noted that voters in North Carolina also avoided mentioning Trump by name.
Martin said the reluctance to discuss political preferences across Michigan was worse than she had ever seen it. In Ann Arbor, more people were willing to speak openly about their support for El-Sayed, though she could not say if that reflected greater enthusiasm for him or a reluctance among Rogers supporters to speak. Some voters threw away stacks of political mailers, and one woman said she voted early just to get it over with.
Source: NPR
