The Jewish News sent each candidate a slate of questions, asking only that they didn’t say anything negative about their opponent.
When Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced her retirement, she left her seat up for grabs in this election cycle. Two candidates are vying for her job: former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers, who represented Michigan’s eighth district from 2001 to 2015, and current Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, who represents Michigan’s seventh district and has served in the Congress since 2019. The winner in November will serve in the Senate for six years.
The Jewish News sent each candidate a slate of questions, asking only that they didn’t say anything negative about their opponent. Here are their answers.
ELISSA SLOTKIN
Representative Elissa Slotkin serves the residents of Michigan’s Seventh Congressional District, which includes all of Ingham, Livingston, Shiawassee and Clinton counties, as well as parts of Eaton, Genesee and Oakland counties.
After earning her undergraduate degree at Cornell University, she attended graduate school at Columbia University in New York City, arriving on campus just days before the Sept. 11 attacks. That experience started her on the path to a career in national security, and after grad school, she joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an intelligence analyst.
At the CIA, she worked alongside the military during three tours in Iraq. In between those tours, she held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama. In 2011, she took a senior position at the Pentagon and rose to serve as an acting assistant secretary of defense until January 2017.
She has served in Congress since 2019 and is the proud owner of two rescue dogs, Rocky and Boomer.
What are your three main priorities if you should win office?
My overarching priority is to make it easier for Michiganders to get into and stay in the middle class. Michigan is the state that invented the middle class; it did so by quite literally making investments in small businesses and critical manufacturing areas, which I hope to reinforce.
To make it easier for people to stay in the middle class, we have to attack the daily costs that are hurting Michigan families — especially health care, childcare and housing. I’m committed to reducing the prices of healthcare; and, in the House, I’ve spearheaded legislation to cap costs of insulin and to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.
I believe that we need to make more critical items in America so that we are in control of our own economic security — supply-side shocks like COVID have the potential to wreak havoc on our economy and middle-class families, so I’m committed to bringing critical manufacturing back to the United States.
Additionally, we have to protect our kids from the things that are truly harming them. The No. 1 killer of people under age 21 is gun violence — in our communities, in our schools, by suicide and by accident. We also have to address the “diseases of despair,” such as mental health issues, opioid addiction and the fentanyl that are hurting our kids.
What are your thoughts on events in the Middle East post Oct. 7?
The Hamas terror attacks of Oct. 7 were the most devastating attack on Jews since the Holocaust. It was a tragedy for Israel, for the hostages, and for the people of Gaza; and it has had enormous implications here at home. It’s hard to overstate how this is roiling our state, and at a very personal level.
In Michigan, we’re lucky to have integrated communities where we all go to school together, play on the same teams, shop at the same grocery stores — and the conflict has added painful tension between and among Michiganders. As a former CIA and Pentagon official, I believe that any country in the world has a right to defend itself when it’s attacked, and Israel has a right to go after the perpetrators of this terrorist attack.
The U.S. has been trying to broker a negotiated ceasefire agreement to bring the hostages home, stop devastating civilian casualties and allow us to turn our focus to a new phase of this conflict. But, in the past year, Iran has doubled-down on its proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah and has made the choice to directly attack Israel in serious, state-on-state ballistic missile attacks. Any country has the right to address those attacks at a time and place of its choosing in order to reestablish deterrence. It is essential that Iran be pressured, deterred and constrained if there’s any hope for a stable future in the Middle East.
Here at home, we must confront the disturbing rise in antisemitism, in Michigan and across the country. Leaders of all political persuasions must call out antisemitism wherever they see it, whether from the right or the left, and law enforcement must seek accountability for those who turn hateful sentiment into action.
What are your thoughts on how much the U.S. has been and should continue to be involved in a resolution to the conflict in Israel?
Support for Israel and its security has been a bipartisan bedrock of American foreign policy since Israel was founded. As a senior Pentagon official, I helped oversee the U.S.-Israel defense relationship, and we saw the importance of that work in the U.S.’s role helping to defend Israel from Iran’s April and October missile and drone attacks. Maintaining that close relationship is critical to America’s security and Israel’s.
The U.S. should also continue working to facilitate a negotiated ceasefire, using our convening power to attempt to negotiate the release of hostages and a new way forward in Gaza.
What would you like to see as a path forward for the Palestinian and Israeli people?
In the short-term, we need a negotiated ceasefire that will secure the release of the hostages, end the fighting and allow us to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza. The longer the conflict continues, the greater the risk of broader regional war that is not in Israel’s interests or America’s.
In the long-term, I continue to believe that the only way to ensure dignity and security for both the Israeli and Palestinian people is through a two-state solution, even as that outcome seems farther away than ever.
What do you see as a path forward to mitigate a nuclear Iran?
Iran’s missile attacks against Israel in April and October demonstrate clearly the regime’s direct threat to Israel and to stability and security in the Middle East — and the critical importance of preventing Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold.
The United States must work closely with Israel and other allies and partners to deter Iran from further missile attacks and to reestablish deterrence. Ultimately, the Iranian regime must decide that the nuclear path is not in their interest. If they choose poorly, then I support the longstanding and bipartisan U.S. consensus that a nuclear Iran is unacceptable and that no options are off the table in preventing that outcome.
What kinds of policies would you pursue to help the middle class?
Michigan invented the middle class — this radical concept that you could work in an auto plant and afford the car you were building on the line. I believe a growing middle class is essential to prosperity and stability in the U.S.
To support a strong middle class, there are really three things that I’ve been working on. Number One is bringing supply-chains back home from places like China, which will support good jobs with good benefits. Number Two is attacking the primary costs that are burning a hole in people’s pockets — things like health care, prescription drugs, housing and childcare. And, finally, you’ve got to keep more of the money that you earn in your pocket, which means ensuring our tax code supports middle-class families instead of providing breaks to the ultra-wealthy.
How would you improve access to healthcare?
Healthcare is the reason I am a member of Congress today. My mom died of ovarian cancer in 2011. She struggled to afford healthcare for years because, like many Jewish women, she had an early case of breast cancer at 31 years old. So, at the time she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she had what the insurance companies called a “pre-existing condition,” and couldn’t afford the insurance that was on offer to her. When we got my mom’s terminal diagnosis from Henry Ford, desperately trying to get her life-saving care, that same month we filled out the paperwork for her to declare bankruptcy.
Unfortunately, stories like mine are all too common, and they’re why the Affordable Care Act, and the protections it provides to people with pre-existing conditions, are so important. That is why I have fought to protect and expand the ACA and defended against repeated efforts to gut this critical law.
But we also need to do more to bring down the costs of healthcare for Americans today, including the outrageous costs of prescription drugs. That is why I fought so hard to finally allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug costs, to cap insulin costs at $35 per month and to limit out-of-pocket costs for our seniors — major achievements we were able to get over the finish line in 2022.
And it’s why I worked across the aisle to pass a law, signed by President Trump, that requires insurance companies to show patients what they will actually have to pay for a drug at the pharmacy counter, bringing some much-
needed transparency to the pharmaceutical industry.
Protections for people with pre-existing conditions and lowering the exorbitant cost of healthcare and prescription drugs are quite literally the issues that got me into politics, and they remain one of my top priorities.
What are your thoughts on reproductive freedom, the overturning of Roe v Wade?
I believe and will always believe that a woman has the right to decide when and how she has a family, and I did not believe Roe v. Wade should’ve been overturned. Unlike others, I have been consistent about where I stand: In the U.S. Senate, I would vote to codify the Roe standard into law.
What kind of policies would you pursue to help small business owners?
First, we need to make more critical items in America, both to create new jobs and to ensure that we are in control of our own economic security. Supply-side shocks like COVID have the potential to wreak havoc on our economy and middle-class families, so I’m committed to bringing critical manufacturing back to the United States.
Second, we need to have a tax code and regulatory environment that actually works for our small businesses. I will continue to champion tax proposals that benefit domestic manufacturers, incentivize investments in research and development, support businesses that are helping their employees cover the cost of childcare, and, critically, take a hard look at the layers of regulation that hold some of our businesses back.
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And, finally, one of the most common concerns that I hear about from small business owners is that they aren’t able to find enough qualified job candidates to meet their needs. This affects everyone from restaurants looking to hire teenagers for summer work to employers in the tech sector looking to hire engineers with advanced degrees. Improving both our education system and our immigration system to meet the workforce needs of employers in our community can help develop and strengthen critical talent pipelines to address this issue. Addressing the cost of housing and childcare will also bring new folks into the workforce, benefiting small businesses.
What kinds of policies would you pursue to mitigate the climate crisis?
In Michigan, preserving our natural heritage for our kids is an existential issue; as a senator, it is my responsibility to preserve that heritage for the next generation. Our water is part of who we are as a state, both our lakes and rivers, and our drinking water.
First, we know we’re going to need more energy in the future, so I’m interested in diversifying into wind, solar, natural gas, hydrogen and nuclear energy, along with traditional forms of energy. I take an all-of-the-above approach to making sure we have redundancy and diversity.
Finally, as a Great Lakes state, we take pride in protecting our fresh water; I’ve been a proud supporter of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which has been instrumental in reducing pollution and keeping our lakes clean.
How would you work across the aisle, regardless of who has the majority?
I am eager to work with my colleagues across the aisle to deliver for Michiganders. My professional background is in national security, working in intelligence and defense. I was recruited into the CIA directly out of graduate school, where I was trained as a Middle East analyst and served three tours alongside our military in Iraq. This bipartisan, country-first approach has informed my work in Congress.
Additionally, I have proudly worked for both Republicans and Democrats in my career, including directly for President Bush and President Obama. This also means that I take a deeply bipartisan approach to all of my work in Congress.
I believe in bipartisanship in my bones: My guiding principle in office has always been to work with people based on how committed they are to serving their constituents, not by party affiliation. My legislative record bears this out: I have been ranked among the 14 most bipartisan members out of the 435 members of the House and the most bipartisan member of the Michigan delegation by the Lugar Center, which analyzes how often members support bills from colleagues of the other party and how often they attract bipartisan support for their own bills.
And one of the first things I did after being sworn into office was join the Problem Solvers Caucus. This group is made up of equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans who meet regularly to craft and champion bipartisan legislation, debate existing bills and reach bipartisan agreement on pressing issues.
What are your plans to combat antisemitism and be sure Jewish Americans feel safer and more secure?
The pain Michigan’s Jewish community felt in the wake of Oct. 7 has been compounded by the significant rise in antisemitism here at home. First, we need to call out antisemitism wherever we see it, whether it comes from the left, as we have seen the rise of this year, or the right.
I believe leadership climate is set at the top, and, too often, prominent figures in politics and society have given voice to antisemitic tropes or made excuses for others doing so. From my national security background, we talk about the “ladder of escalation” that begins with being radicalized in extremist communities online or in person and progresses from extremist statements to minor crimes and eventually violent action. Breaking that cycle requires leaders to model better behavior.
It also means that when people do move up that ladder and put hate into action, they need to be held accountable. Congress has a role to play here, which is why I am a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act. This legislation would strengthen the federal response to the rise in antisemitism by, among other things, establishing a federal antisemitism coordinator to lead efforts across the federal government; requiring our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to issue an annual report on antisemitic threats and violence; and ensuring that antisemitism on campus and online is reported and those responsible are held accountable.
But combating antisemitism also means using the mantle of a senator to call it out, reject it and demand action, particularly as antisemitism is spiking. As one of just two Jewish women in the Senate, I hope to be an important voice in tackling this issue.
MIKE ROGERS
After graduating from Howell High School and Adrian College, Rogers served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Following his time in the Army, he served in the FBI, taking down organized crime and public corruption in Chicago.
In 1994, he ran for the Michigan Senate. As a state senator, he wrote the legislation that created Michigan’s 529 College Savings Program.
In 2000, he ran for U.S. Congress and won. On the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he worked to secure our nations’ energy independence and unleash American-made energy. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he was among the first to sound the alarm on the economic and national security danger posed by China.
He retired from Congress in 2015 and entered the private sector. He is married to his wife, Kristi, and has two grown children.
What are your three main priorities if you should win office?
I am focused on how I can make the economy work for Michigan by bringing down prices and giving Michigan families who are living paycheck to paycheck some much-needed relief. As senator, I will stop the Democrats’ out-of-control wasteful spending and unleash American energy, bringing down gas and grocery costs across the board.
Voters are deeply concerned about the wide-open southern border, and I vow to work with President Trump to secure the border and restore the Remain in Mexico policy to end the violence and flow of fentanyl.
Lastly, I will work to show strength to America’s threats abroad. Democrats have emboldened China with their radical EV mandates that make us more reliant on the Chinese Communist Party for EV battery technology. As senator, I will end these senseless mandates that fuel our adversaries and have the backs of Michigan’s auto workers.
What are your thoughts on events in the Middle East post Oct. 7?
The attacks on the Jewish people on Oct. 7 were tragic and atrocious. The Jewish people have suffered persecution throughout history, and it was heartbreaking to witness them be attacked yet again.
Additionally, I believe America failed Israel by sending bags of cash to Iran through the Iran Nuclear Deal. As senator, I will always stand with our allies, and I will not empower our enemies.
What are your thoughts on how much the U.S. has been and should continue to be involved in a resolution to the conflict in Israel?
Throughout my time in office, I was a faithful supporter of United States security assistance to Israel. During my time as chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, I was responsible for the classified portion of our budget and led the efforts to secure vital security advancements that led to the development of the Iron Dome and other defensive systems.
Continuing security aid is not only vital for Israeli security, but also for American national security because our two nations share common adversaries in Iran, their proxy terrorist organizations and the continuing threat of radical Islamic terrorism. Israel must have continued access to conventional military assets, missile defense systems and intelligence cooperation.
Further, I fully support the $3.3 billion and $500 million found in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Israel and Congress’ decision in 2024 to pass the $14.3 billion in Emergency Security Assistance for Israel. America must continue to support Israel in its effort to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas. No ceasefire shall be agreed to until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are returned home safely; and America should help Israel achieve that goal.
What would you like to see as a path forward for the Palestinian and Israeli people?
I would like to see peace between the Palestinian and Israeli people. The greatest, and perhaps only, impediment to expanding peace throughout the Middle East is the continuing and growing aggression of Iran through its proxy groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the rogue Syrian regime in addition to their consistent pursuit of nuclear weapons. We must counter Iran at every level. When we do that, I think we can then talk about the path forward. For now, we must ensure Hamas and other terrorist proxies are destroyed and return the hostages home safely.
What do you see as a path forward to mitigate a nuclear Iran?
Cutting off their funding. Iran cannot produce nuclear weapons at full capacity if we cut off their income stream. The Democrats promoted the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal, which flushed Iran with capital and mobilized their terrorist proxies. Mitigating a nuclear Iran looks like turning off the spigot of funds.
What kinds of policies would you pursue to help the middle class?
As senator, I will work to uplift the middle class by making permanent the 2017 Trump tax cuts that gave middle class families living paycheck to paycheck the relief they need.
Additionally, I will work with my colleagues to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime,and Social Security to put more money in the pockets of working Michiganders.
Finally, I will work to unleash America’s energy industry, bringing down gas and grocery prices across the board.
How would you improve access to healthcare?
During my time in Congress, I worked to expand Medicare so seniors and low-income families could get the care they needed and deserved.
Additionally, I worked to pass Medicare Part D to provide prescription drug coverage, helping America’s seniors pay for prescription drugs. As senator, I will continue my fight to expand healthcare access, including for families seeking IVF treatment.
What are your thoughts on reproductive freedom, the overturning of Roe v Wade?
I will not support any federal law that would take away rights guaranteed by the voters of Michigan in our state’s Constitution.
I trust the people of Michigan. They made their decision, and I’m not going to Washington to change it. My focus is on maternal health, expanding access to IVF, prenatal care and adoption.
What kinds of policies would you pursue to help small business owners?
Small businesses are the backbone of America’s economy. In Michigan, we have more than 900,000 small businesses who employ 1.9 million Michiganders. On the campaign trail, including my diner tour, I have visited with many small business owners and heard their struggles: high input costs and too many government rules and regulations. As senator, I will work to end Washington’s wasteful and reckless spending that is fueling the high prices we see today.
Additionally, I will stand up to the burdensome regulations brought on by Biden-Harris. Our small businesses don’t need the government breathing down their necks. In the Senate, I’ll be a watchdog for our small businesses and get the government out of the way.
What kinds of policies would you pursue to mitigate the climate crisis?
It’s critical that we’re good stewards of our planet, and we should work to find solutions that don’t rely on devastating our economy. There’s a better way to get this done, including with EVs. It takes 500 pounds of critical minerals to build an EV, which takes 4 tons of carbon out of the air. That same 500 pounds can build 90 hybrids and take 140 tons of carbon out of the air.
In Congress, I fought to protect our Great Lakes by working to ban southern and western states from siphoning off water out and by banning drilling. As senator, I will continue to fight to protect Michigan’s Great Lakes and our planet.
How would you work across the aisle, regardless of who has the majority?
It takes respect, strong leadership and hard work to get things done in Washington. I’ve been there and worked with Democrats the entire time. I know what it’s like to reach across the aisle, shake hands with a member from an opposing party and call them “partner,” all in an effort to deliver for the American people.
As chairman of the Intelligence Committee, I worked with my Democrat counterpart to cut over $7 billion in wasteful spending. I stood up to my own party at times because I knew that’s what the people of Michigan wanted.
As senator, I will work across the aisle just like I did in Congress to achieve for the Michigan people.
What are your plans to combat antisemitism and be sure Jewish Americans feel safer and more secure?
Since the Oct. 7th attacks on Israel, we have seen the expanding rise of antisemitic efforts to delegitimize Israel and force corporations and universities to boycott, disinvest and sanction Israel. We’ve seen violent attacks against Jewish Americans and threats of violence that are too many to count. Many of these coordinated efforts are funded by foreign sources with the express purpose of weakening Israel and forcing a wedge between our two nations.
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This combined with other illegitimate actions at the United Nations and other international bodies must be strongly opposed by the United States, and I will stand strongly in opposition to these dangerous efforts. We must also continually stand strong to expose the truth behind these efforts and educate young people that they are being used as pawns by Islamic radicals hellbent on Israel’s destruction. In the Senate, I will stand up and call out antisemitism whenever I see it and work to educate Americans on the conflict overseas.
