Rogers tries to tie Slotkin to China in the final campaign offensive

Slotkin and Mike Rogers, a former Republican Members of the House of Representatives are both vying for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The Cook political report labels the chair a “toss-up”; poll shows Slotkin leading Rogers 46.2% to 42.5%.

Now, a week before Election Day, the Rogers campaign has launched a new campaign websitein an effort to convince voters that Slotkin’s record in Congress has damaged the livelihoods of Michiganders.

The website states that “Michigan voters cannot trust Slotkin to stand up to China,” as Slotkin reportedly signed a non-disclosure agreement to coordinate with Gotion, a Chinese-owned electric vehicle battery company.

The Slotkin campaign denied signing an NDA related to the Gotion plant development.

“This is a completely false attack by national Republicans,” Slotkin campaign spokesman Antoine Givens said in a statement. “As a national security expert, Rep. Slotkin has dedicated her career to protecting the US from foreign threats and in Congress she has led the fight against Chinese influence in critical supply chains and the automotive industry. Representative Slotkin has never signed any agreement regarding the Gotion project or the Chinese government.”

Multiple news outlets, including the Detroit News And Detroit Free Presshave reported that there is no evidence that Slotkin has signed an NDA regarding the Gotion project.

Slotkin did that sign an NDA, along with dozens of lawmakers on both signs of the political trail, with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation during the time the state was negotiating the Gotion battery plant. However, the NDA that Slotkin signed covered two different economic development projects in her district.

Dating back to December of last year, the Rogers campaign has run ads showing Slotkin signing an NDA regarding the development of a Gotion factory.

The proposed plant is deeply unpopular with Michiganders; Green Charter Township, the municipality where the Gotion battery plant would be built, has been fighting for months to block its construction.

Many fear that embracing electric vehicles could make the United States dependent on China, which is dominant in mining the minerals needed to build batteries for electric vehicles.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINATOR

Although Michigan’s auto industry has declined in recent decades, it contributes $304 billion to the state’s economy and accounted for 21% of all U.S. auto production in 2022.

Some automakers, such as General Motors, are embracing electric vehicles; Michigan voters remain divided as leaders of countries and industries try to compete with China in their development.