GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat heated up on Tuesday night when former Congressman Mike Rogers (R) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) took the debate stage.

The issues discussed were the normal political fare for events like these, but Slotkin’s ties to the Chinese battery plant Gotion in Big Rapids marked a key moment of the night.

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Rogers said Slotkin signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in relation to the Gotion project, but Slotkin denied those claims and essentially split hairs over the meaning. As previously reported by Michigan News Source, Slotkin did sign an NDA related to the project. She claims she signed the NDA with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) rather than Gotion itself.

Slotkin said she did not sign an NDA with “any Chinese government, Chinese entity, Chinese company at all.”

Rogers asked the question much of the Big Rapids community has asked when it comes to a Chinese company in their backyard. “Why in God’s green earth we would cede that auto market to the Communist Party of China is beyond me,” Rogers  said.

That’s not the only problem Slotkin faces related to the Gotion project. Last month, she flip-flopped on the Gotion project, claiming that it was probably not a good idea for Michigan companies to be in cahoots with a Chinese-based company. Gotion is moving forward with its project in Mecosta County despite community pushback.

Voting is already underway in Michigan with absentee ballots already arriving in mailboxes. Early voting starts nine days before the Nov. 5 election.