DETROIT — Michigan Senate hopefuls Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed were within 30 miles of each other as they rallied voters for the final time Monday night.
asserted
they → rally → time
Rogers, rallying in Oakland County, a Democratic-leaning area that also has strong pockets of Republican voters, highlighted his support among Democrats and independents.
asserted
that → rally → Democrats
He praised the "courage" of El-Sayed's primary opponent, Haley Stevens, who endorsed Rogers on Sunday, and said the race was about the "soul of the country."
asserted
race → praise → country
About 25 miles south, in metro Detroit, El-Sayed spoke at the Majestic Theater alongside the Chicago rapper Common.
asserted
Sayed → speak → rapper
He railed against President Donald Trump and called on Democratic voters to support him out of loyalty to their "collective.
asserted
He → rail → collective
"When they come for our collective, we won't back down," El-Sayed said.
asserted
Sayed → come → collective
The two pitches reflected the closing dynamics of the cycle's highest profile race: Rogers, battling a difficult electoral environment for Republicans, encouraging lifelong Democrats to cross the aisle for the first time; El-Sayed, coming off of a bruising primary that never quite ended, calling on them to come home.
asserted
that → reflect → them
"There are a few people who want to use the differences between us to divide us," El-Sayed said at an earlier Monday rally at a United Auto Workers hall in Flint.
asserted
Sayed → be → Flint
"They are small, and they think they can make us small like them."
asserted
us → think → them
Michigan senator Elissa Slotkin joined El-Sayed at the union hall, where organizers passed out signs reading, "Who Told You to Split Your Ticket? Somebody Who Wants Trump in Charge."
asserted
Who → join → Charge
Former state representative Mallory McMorrow, who ended her primary campaign against El-Sayed and Stevens early after struggling to gain support, appeared alongside El-Sayed at a farmers' market in the deep-blue Detroit suburb of Royal Oak.
asserted
who → end → Oak
Both alluded to Stevens's endorsement of Rogers, something El-Sayed declined to discuss with reporters the day before.
asserted
Sayed → allude → reporters
"What matters is if you're on Team Fight or Team Flight," Slotkin said at the UAW rally.
asserted
Slotkin → matter → rally
"This race is about one thing," McMorrow added in Royal Oak.
asserted
McMorrow → add → Oak
Rogers argued the opposite during his Monday night rally in Oakland County.
asserted
Rogers → argue → County
He said his campaign "went to neighborhoods in Detroit that, candidly, Republicans hadn't been to in a long time.
asserted
Republicans → say → time
You know what we found?
asserted
we → know → what
The warmest reception we could ever imagine.
uncertain
we → imagine → ?
"Once Abdul El-Sayed got through that primary, our world changed," Rogers added.
asserted
Rogers → get → primary
"It's really about the heart and soul of the country and who we want to be."
asserted
we → want → who
He also praised Stevens's "courage," saying we "both knew that we loved America, and we loved America more than we loved our parties."
asserted
we → praise → parties
Rogers's rally featured several Jewish and black Democrats who said they were voting Republican for the first time, citing El-Sayed's radicalism and reluctance to condemn terrorism and antisemitism.
asserted
they → feature → terrorism
Chelsea Rebeck, a Jewish Democrat, said she was worried about "rising antisemitism" driven by El-Sayed's supporters.
asserted
she → say → supporters
"When I look at Abdul El-Sayed, I don't see someone who represents my values," she said.
asserted
she → look → values
She also praised Stevens for "having the courage to stand up," prompting a standing ovation from the audience and chants of "Haley! Haley!"
asserted
She → praise → Haley
The Aporia
