DETROIT — With less than three months remaining before the general election, Michigan is witnessing one of the most closely watched races in the country: The contest for retiring Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters’ seat between Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Republican nominee Mike Rogers. The outcome could prove decisive in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate.

The latest polls conducted following the primary election have produced varying results, although some have shown an advantage for El-Sayed. He led Rogers by as many as 7 percentage points in one poll, while another survey conducted by the conservative Fox News network showed the opposite result, with Rogers leading 51 percent to 47 percent. That result was within the poll’s 4-point margin of error.

A survey conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research showed El-Sayed leading Rogers 46 percent to 39 percent. Nine percent of respondents remained undecided, while 4 percent preferred another candidate.

The poll was conducted from August 11 through August 17 through live telephone interviews, rather than automated calls, and included a sample of 800 likely voters.

El-Sayed led Rogers 91 percent to zero among voters who identified themselves as Democrats. He also led Rogers 46 percent to 24 percent among independent and unaffiliated voters. Rogers, meanwhile, led El-Sayed 90 percent to 2 percent among Republican voters.

AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, also released a new poll examining the role voters aged 50 and older could play in the race.

The poll showed El-Sayed holding an extremely narrow statewide lead, 48 percent to 47 percent, while 5 percent of voters remained undecided.

It also revealed a clear generational divide in voter preferences. El-Sayed led by 14 points among voters younger than 50, while Rogers held a 9-point advantage among voters aged 50 and older.

The El-Sayed and Rogers campaigns have so far agreed to one televised debate, scheduled for October 8 on WOOD-TV. El-Sayed has called for five debates with his Republican opponent to give the candidates sufficient opportunity to discuss a broad range of issues before Michigan voters.

El-Sayed, who is widely viewed as a progressive outsider to the traditional political establishment, scored a major and historic upset in Michigan’s August 4 Democratic primary by defeating U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, who had the support of much of the Democratic establishment and benefited from record spending by the pro-Israel lobby and its affiliated groups.

Democrats badly need El-Sayed to win in Michigan to preserve their chances of capturing a Senate majority. Republicans currently control the chamber with 53 seats, while Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them account for the remaining 47.

Thirty-five of the Senate’s 100 seats are being contested in 2026, including regularly scheduled elections and special elections. Each of the 50 states is represented by two U.S. senators.

Democrats have controlled both of Michigan’s U.S. Senate seats continuously since the beginning of the century.

If elected, El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, would become the first Muslim U.S. senator in American history.

Only one debate? El-Sayed challenges Rogers to face voters five times

GRAND RAPIDS — Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed have agreed to participate in their first head-to-head debate in the race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat.

WOOD-TV, the NBC affiliate serving the Grand Rapids area in western Michigan, will host the debate on October 8. Political reporter Rick Albin will serve as moderator.

Rogers’ campaign said on its website that the Republican candidate intends to “expose Abdul for the fraud he is” during the debate. El-Sayed, meanwhile, said through his campaign that his Republican opponent has avoided his challenge to hold five debates before the November 3 election.

Those invitations include a proposed September 15 debate on FOX 2 Detroit that Rogers has not accepted.

“On September 15, I’m showing up to FOX 2’s debate and they’re prepared to run with an empty podium whether you have the courage to show up or not,” El-Sayed said in a statement posted on his campaign website.

FOX 2 anchor Roop Raj, who is expected to moderate the proposed debate, said it is critically important for both candidates to participate in multiple debates before voting begins. He also emphasized the importance of holding a debate in Metro Detroit.

“We believe it is incumbent on both these candidates to show up for a debate and let different moderators contrast the views and the opinions they have about the future of Michigan,” Raj said in a Facebook video.