Neither candidate landed a decisive blow in Michigan’s first Senate debate, but the exchange exposed the political liabilities both must overcome in a race that could determine control of the chamber: Mike Rogers’s ties to President Donald Trump and Abdul el Sayed’s challenge in winning over voters beyond his progressive base.

Despite the personal attacks and sharp disagreements during Thursday’s debate in Grand Rapids, strategists from both parties said neither candidate delivered a moment likely to change the race, with both largely reinforcing voters’ existing impressions.