DETROIT — The Detroit Regional Chamber announced that the U.S. Senate debate scheduled for the Mackinac Policy Conference attendees has been canceled.
The chamber said despite early interest from the candidates, Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin declined to participate.
In a statement, the chamber said in part:
“The leading candidates’ refusal to engage in this vital forum points to a deeply concerning trend. It undermines our democratic process and hampers our state’s progress. This is a clear reflection of today’s political dynamics, which increasingly discourage candidates from directly addressing voters’ concerns. Today’s dynamics favor sound bites, clicks, and “likes” and let political strategy take precedence over informing voters by standing “in the arena” debating ideas, priorities, and values with others vying for the same position of public trust.”
They went on to say they hope the candidates who did agree to debate – Republican Sandy Pensler and Democrats Nasser Beydoun and Hill Harper – will attend the conference.
The Detroit Regional Chamber pushes for policies they believe will address polarized politics, including a non-partisan primary and ranked-choice voting.