The Story:
The US Senate race in Michigan this year has not received a lot of national press. But it could be critical for the arithmetic of who will control the Senate in January 2021. The seat at issue, now held by Gary Peters (D), is one of only two held by a Democrat and contested this year in a state that voted for Donald Trump (R) for President four years ago.
Background:
Gary Peters is a white man with an MBA from the University of Detroit. He is running largely on his support for Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act. He has not endorsed “Medicare for All,” because he thinks health-care policy is best addressed within the framework established by the ACA, with some changes aimed at lowering drug prices and easing the burden ACA taxes can impose on small employers.
The Thing to Know:
Peters’ opponent, John James, is a black man who graduated from West Point in 2004 and served in Iraq. James opposes either Medicare for All or Obamacare. He would repeal the latter and, so far as one can tell from public statements, send US health care and health insurance policy back to the status quo circa 2009.
