Coalition seeks new way to hold debates in Michigan

DETROIT — A coalition in Michigan is seeking a new way to hold debates in Michigan starting with this fall's U.S. Senate race, an initiative it hopes to expand to combat a dearth of televised political forums for voters to learn about candidates.

The new Michigan Debate Task Force is urging U.S. Senate candidates to commit to participating in three debates ahead of the general election this fall, so voters may hear directly from candidates in an "unfiltered" format.

The task force is comprised of universities, Chambers of Commerce and the Urban Leagues of Detroit and west Michigan. The groups intend to organize and host the three debates around the state that would be broadcast by TV partners: One in southeast Michigan, one in the Grand Rapids area and another in the Traverse City area.

"Voters in Michigan deserve regular, high-quality, informative, civil and respectful discussions between those seeking to be our representatives. Therefore, we, and more importantly the voters, expect all candidates who qualify to participate," according to a letter that the task force sent to U.S. Senate candidates on Monday.

Part of the idea is to shift the control of debate rules, timing and formats away from political campaigns ― which tend to prefer more controlled environments and fewer debates ― to a neutral entity that will prioritize quality information being disseminated to the broader public, organizers said.

"Campaigns are always more interested in controlled environments: television ads, digital ads and their own events where it's a friendly audience. That doesn't necessarily lead to good information or helpful information," said Dave Dulio, the director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Oakland University, who is helping coordinate the task force.

"Our conclusion was that Michigan needs a neutral entity to bolster the information that voters get during the campaign, so that it's not just the controlled messages that candidates want to spread."

The task force also saw a prime opportunity in a tossup Senate race for an open statewide seat, where no incumbent could try to steer away from debating their opponents as happened in the 2022 races for secretary of state and attorney general, for example, Dulio said. A debate would both offer candidates a chance to boost their name identification and pitch voters on why they should be the next U.S. senator from Michigan, he added.

"The task force can help do that. It's a real benefit," Dulio said.

The race for Michigan's open Senate seat features two primary contests at the moment. U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Holly, the actor Hill Harper of Detroit and businessman Nasser Beydoun of Dearborn are competing for the Democratic nomination. The Republican contest includes former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers of Brighton and Justin Amash of Cascade Township, as well as Grosse Pointe Park businessman Sandy Pensler and Sherry O'Donnell of Stevensville.

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