Key facts
- Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed both promised to push back against Trump's tariff policies, NPR reported.
- Rogers said in a campaign ad that Canada is not an enemy and that the tariff war should end, CBC reported.
- Auto parts and vehicles made in Canada face a 25% US levy, set to rise to 50% in the new year absent a trade deal, CBC reported.
- The National Taxpayers Union estimated tariffs cost the average American family $6,000 a year, CBC reported.
- A CATO Institute poll found 75% of respondents said tariffs will raise prices, CBC reported.
Michigan's Senate race has become a referendum on President Donald Trump's tariffs and his trade fight with Canada, with both major-party candidates campaigning against the levies, according to reports dated October 27 and October 30, 2026.
Republican Mike Rogers released a campaign ad in which he drinks a Labatt beer and says, "Here in Michigan, we know Canada is not our enemy," before adding, "we need to end this tariff war now," CBC reported. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has also promised to push back against Trump's tariff policies, NPR reported.
Auto parts and vehicles made in Canada face a 25% US levy, a rate set to rise to 50% in the new year unless the two countries reach a trade deal, CBC reported. The National Taxpayers Union estimated the tariffs cost the average American family $6,000 a year, and a CATO Institute poll found 75% of respondents said tariffs will raise prices, CBC reported.
In Detroit, small-business owner Jonathan Summerville, who buys steel foundation supports from a Canadian manufacturer, said he absorbs some tariff costs and that higher diesel and grocery prices are more immediate concerns, NPR reported. He said he hopes the tariffs eventually strengthen American manufacturing.