(FOX2) – Democrat Elissa Slotkin He will become Michigan’s newest U.S. Senator after winning the open-seat race, keeping control of his party in must-win elections as the balance of power in the chamber remains in the balance.

Associated Press called the race and declared Slotkin the winner between himself and Republican mike rogers By a margin of 0.3. He will take over the seat that Democrat Debbie Stabenow has held for years.

With Michigan being a key battleground state and Democrats making the case in several races for the Senate, Slotkin’s win was vital for the party to maintain its majority in the House.

Slotkin, who has won three straight in the U.S. House of Representatives, joined the Senate race shortly after Stabenow announced he would resign in 2023. With name recognition throughout the state and his intelligence background, he rose to leadership early as he forged ahead. stepped up his inauguration campaign.

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Although Rogers managed to narrow the gap between the two candidates in the final months of the November election, he was unable to flip the seat that some Republicans believe is the party’s best chance in years to send a conservative lawmaker from Michigan to the U.S. Senate.

The race pitted two federal government veterans, both with law enforcement backgrounds; While Slotkin cruised to an easy win in the Democratic Primary, Rogers fended off challenges from several former lawmakers in the Republican Primary.

In a race that featured two lively debates, tens of millions of dollars in ad spending and huge ramifications for future administrations in Michigan and the United States, there was no clear favorite heading into the final days of the election. But Slotkin’s status as the projected winner reinforces his status as an effective campaigner who can raise large amounts of money in tight congressional races.