Pundit Monday: Dems United? 62% For Medicare For All; Duggan; Kristi Rogers

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/31/2026) As U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-sayed bounced around among the different Democratic caucus meetings at Saturday's convention, gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson stayed mostly out of public eyesight.

Along with running mate Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), Benson's speech was packaged as the main event, closing the nominating convention without the rest of the ticket. Speaking with reporters afterward, Benson downplayed any talk about the Democrats not being unified. Rather, she said the ticket was unified in message.

MIRS asked four political commentators for their impressions of this potentially mixed message along with the big news from the weekend that 62% of Michigan voters say they support a "Medicare for All" approach to health care.

Commentators were also asked how former independent gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan would be doing if he were still in the race and their thoughts on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers' wife, Kristi Rogers, becoming visible in the campaign.

Q. The Michigan Democratic Party convention closed this weekend without gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson on stage at the same time as Abdul El-Sayed and the rest of the Democratic ticket. Does this hurt Democrats' claim that they are united?

A. Rusty Hills, professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan: "I don't think it matters to the public who was on stage and who wasn't, but it does signal that she views her chances are better not campaigning with him, that he's got issues and baggage that she doesn't share. It indicates to me an inclination by her to go her own way."

Stephanie Van Koevering, of counsel with Resch Strategies: "It doesn’t exactly scream family Christmas card, but it shouldn't be that big of a distraction, either. Benson and El-Sayed have appeared together since the primary (Detroit unity rally, I think) so it's probably less about sending messages and more about unfortunate scheduling blips.

"What's a bigger issue for both parties this year is the continued left/right drift. Everyone is talking about unity to make the disappearing middle, as I think of it, a non-issue. But the very existence of a Duggan campaign shows there is still a moderate voter, and that nobody has successfully figured out how to speak to them as they continue to veer harder to the progressive and MAGA ends of the political spectrum."

Dave Dulio, distinguished professor of the Political Science Department and Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Oakland University: "It certainly does. When I saw the photo from the end of the convention, that was the first thing I thought of. Where is everyone else? I think the Democratic leadership can talk all they want about unity and unification, but actions speak louder than words."

Jimmy Greene, political consultant: "No, I don't think it does. It might be a little strategic and maybe there's a little separation with the U.S. Senate candidate, but it doesn't reflect that they're not unified. It's more political strategy than anything and I wouldn't see it as anything more than that, to tell you the truth."

Q. EPIC-MRA polling from the weekend found 62% of Michigan voters support "Medicare for All." How do Republicans react to this, presuming the poll numbers are accurate?

A. Van Koevering: "If the results hold up, which I believe they will, they suggest Republicans have a messaging problem. But they don't necessarily mean voters are ready to embrace every aspect of a single-payer health care system.

"It's hard to disagree with the idea that people everywhere are furious about health care costs, which is probably why 'Medicare for All' may not be as toxic a phrase as it once was. I'd love to probe deeper and find out whether voters today are hearing it less as an ideological label and more as, 'Please make health care stop costing a fortune.' I suspect that's a big part of what's happening here.

"The best advice for Republicans is to identify a real, viable alternative to both the status quo and the progressive solution. And they need to do it quickly. If Medicare for All is the only big idea on the table for people who believe the current system isn't working, Republicans can't win the argument simply by explaining why they're against it. They have to offer something voters can be for."

Dulio: "With surprise. I think that's how they react. With some serious concern, because I think the assumption has been that this kind of proposal could be weakened in terms of voter appeal by talking about socialism and I wonder if that's a flawed argument. Is that messaging not working or is it not specific enough to a certain policy? I think that has to be a worry for Republicans."

Greene: "Republicans still have the same problem as they have for a decade in that for as much as they attack Obamacare, they've never come up with a viable alternative. It's the same thing here. There may be a lot of puffery, but they're not driving at a solution. They're babbling around the issue without taking any position at all. They don't have an answer for it. They just don't."

Hills: "I actually think healthcare is a net plus for Democrats, if only because Republicans have no plan on healthcare. So, if this is a topic that we're discussing, that's a net benefit for the Democratic candidates."

Q. How would Mike Duggan be doing if he were still in the governor's race?

Dulio: "He'd probably still be close to where he was when he exited but with a real opportunity in front of him. The Benson team, as far as I can tell, has not put much out that can be used as a rallying cry to support their candidate and John James (R-Shelby Township) has been running as much against Abdul El-Sayed as he is against Jocelyn Benson. For me, that seems like a recipe for opportunity for someone in that Duggan mold."

Greene: "I think he'd be doing a lot better than he thought. Now that Jocelyn Benson and John James have gotten through and named their running mates, I haven't heard people without a home say, 'Wow, that's what I've been looking for.' I think he'd be scaring the hell out of both candidates, to tell you the truth. Would he still be a spoiler? Sure, that's a possibility, but he'd be doing well.

"I'm on this thread with Duggan supporters and that thread has gotten larger since Duggan dropped out, not smaller."

Hills: "Duggan actually has more of a constituency in a general election than he ever did in a primary election, and that was part of his problem. As an independent, he didn't face a primary. Had he stayed in, he would have found a constituency in the general election because most voters tend to be in the middle. Those are also the voters who vote least in a primary.

"Having said that, this is a midterm for President Trump and the Republicans in Washington. It's likely to be a blue wave election. Also, because of the changing nature of the parties, there's more college-educated voters who identify as Democrats, meaning they're more likely to vote. There's also a huge enthusiasm gap. So, for all of those reasons, I think the election favors Benson, and had Duggan stayed in, I think he would have pulled more from Benson than from John James and, so, in an ironic twist, his presence on the ballot may well have elected John James, even if John James only pulled 40."

Van Koevering: "I'm not sure what Duggan's numbers would look like right now, but he'd probably make the race a lot more interesting than it currently is. At this point, things are looking pretty bland at the top of the ticket.

"At this point, I suspect the question wouldn't be, 'Can Duggan win?' nearly as often as, 'Whose voters is Duggan taking?' In that sense, I'm not sure a lot would have changed since the early months of this election cycle."

Q. What do you make of Kristi Rogers' increased visibility in the U.S. Senate race? She introduced Mike Rogers at his last press conference and has appeared in half of his TV spots to date.

Greene: "I've met her, and they're trying to soften Mike's appeal. They're trying to normalize him in lieu of him being in this MAGA world. Bringing her out is a family sort of thing. Trying to show Mike as the traditional family guy, make him more normal than Abdul El-Sayed.

Hills: "She is a tremendous plus, and the Rogers campaign has figured that out. They're wise to use her. She's a very good face for the campaign. She's able to campaign on his behalf without any of the negatives, issues that he may have with voters. I think it's a smart decision on their part and I would anticipate that they'll continue to do that all the way through November."

Van Koevering: "It's always useful to have a candidate's spouse on hand to help humanize their partner.

"And Mike Rogers could probably use some of that. If someone asked me to invent a stereotypical Republican candidate, I might come up with Mike Rogers: former FBI agent, former congressman, national security credentials, conservative, serious. It's a perfectly respectable résumé, but it's not exactly a riveting personal narrative.

"That matters when he's running against Abdul El-Sayed, who has a more distinctive biography, a more unconventional political profile and a very clearly defined public persona. Kristi Rogers gives the campaign another way to tell Mike Rogers' story — where they came from, what shaped them and who he is when he's not standing behind a podium talking about policy. That can help voters see dimensions of him that his political résumé doesn't necessarily convey.

"I suspect she'll continue to be an important part of the general-election strategy, provided she stays out of hot water with her own comments. The more visible a candidate's spouse becomes, the more their words become fair game, too."

Dulio: "That is part of the reintroduction of Mike Rogers, and it's letting folks know that he's a family man, he has his family's support. I don't think it's much beyond that."