Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers believes his outreach to Black and Jewish voters, traditionally Democratic constituencies, will be key to his victory over progressive opponent Abdul El-Sayed in the state's critical open Senate seat race. Rogers expressed confidence in securing crossover votes during an interview with ABC News Live.

The race is pivotal for determining control of the Senate in the next Congress. A late September Fox News poll indicated the contest is virtually tied, with El-Sayed at 50% and Rogers at 49%, within the poll's margin of error.

Rogers told ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis that he sees an opportunity with Jewish Democrat voters and African Americans in areas like Detroit and Pontiac. He stated that his campaign is receiving a "great response" from these traditional Democratic coalitions, which he believes will lead to a win and differentiate his campaign.

Despite Rogers' claims, the source material notes there is no current polling data to confirm his gains within these specific voter groups. El-Sayed has received support from prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to campaign with him, and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has appeared with him previously.

Rogers also distanced himself from President Donald Trump on economic issues, expressing concern rather than agreement with the president's self-assessment of his economic performance. When asked about Trump's economic job approval, Rogers stated, "I am really worried. People are so frustrated. They're frustrated about prices. They're frustrated about inflation." He asserted his ability to influence the president on policy, saying he would "go in, sit down, talk to him about the things that work for Michigan."

Regarding his earlier controversial statement about deploying retired or off-duty police officers as poll-watchers in Detroit, Rogers defended the idea. He argued that having poll-watchers, a practice he noted has occurred for decades, would not discourage voting. Rogers reiterated his stance as wanting "to make it easy to vote, hard to cheat."

Rogers has previously questioned the results of his 2024 election loss to Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin, despite a lack of evidence to support claims of impropriety.

The election for Michigan's open Senate seat is closely watched as a potential bellwether for national political trends and a significant factor in the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.