Republicans Land Top Recruit in Battleground Senate Election

Former Republican congressman Mike Rogers announced his campaign for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat on Wednesday morning, giving national Republicans their top recruit for what could be the most competitive race in the country. 

With his announcement, Rogers became the first high-profile Republican to announce a run to replace the retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The U.S. Army veteran and former congressman said he is running for Senate to help American families “get back on track” after facing more than two years of President Joe Biden’s economy. 

“America under Biden and his cronies is going in the wrong direction: Open borders, a broken system of justice — one for the D.C. elites and one for the rest of us,” Rogers says in his announcement video. “Biden’s bad policies are making gas and groceries more expensive and home ownership harder.” 

Rogers represented Michigan’s 8th congressional district from 2001 to 2015 and served as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee from 2011 to 2015. He was also a special agent in the FBI where he focused on organized crime. After serving in Congress, Rogers built cyber security companies to help small businesses fight cyber threats from bad actors such as China. 

National Republicans have signaled that Rogers will have support from the party in his primary. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told The Daily Wire that Rogers is “the type of candidate who can perform well with suburban Michiganders and be a strong part of the eventual ticket in Michigan.”

“Mike Rogers has devoted his life to serving the people of Michigan and holding communist China accountable,” Daines said. “I am pleased to see Mike stepping up to run for the U.S. Senate.”

Daines has said the party is changing course in 2024 and will actively take sides in primaries, in hopes of improving candidate quality for general elections. The likely Democrat opponent in Michigan will be Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who has already entered the race and is expected to win the nomination.

Democrats have held onto both Michigan Senate seats since 2001, but the race is considered to be one of the party’s many potential Senate losses in 2024. Democrats hold just a two-seat majority in the U.S. Senate, and may have to hold onto the Michigan seat to keep control of the upper chamber. Michigan will also likely be a main battleground in the presidential contest, making having a strong ticket all the more important for both parties. 

Rogers joins three other lesser-known Republicans who have declared their candidacy, including, Michigan State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder, businessman Michael Hoover, and attorney Alexandria Taylor, a former Democrat. Other more high-profile candidates, however, are expected to join the race. 

Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI), who lost his primary election after voting to impeach former President Donald Trump, formed an exploratory committee last week. Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who ran for governor last cycle, is also a likely candidate for the seat. 

Rogers says he would work to get Senate to focus on issues that matter, like China taking advantage of American businesses.

“Politics has gotten so small and so petty. We’re failing to address big problems,” says Rogers. “Families are struggling, but politicians are fighting over banning gas stoves while China is stealing our intellectual property and our jobs, and Biden is letting them do it. We can do better.”