“For the first time in 32 years, we’re going to take back this Senate seat, for the people of Michigan and working families,” former Congressman Mike Rogers told his cheering supporters in Lansing Friday.
Rogers spoke as his campaign filed thousands of petitions to get on the August primary ballot at the Michigan Secretary of State office.
Rogers served seven terms in Congress, starting in 2001 before stepping down in 2015. He lost a close U.S. Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in 2024.
Rogers was asked what’s changed in the past two years that improves his chances of winning this year, and replacing outgoing Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters, who is not running for reelection.
He discounted predictions that this will be a difficult midterm election for Republicans in part because of President Donald Trump. Rogers pointed to the coincidence that Michigan has open races for both governor and U.S. Senate in November.
“There is an energy in this state that is not midterm-like,” said Rogers, “and I think all the pundits and all the folks who want to ponder on these races forget what’s going on in Michigan.”
If he wins the Republican primary in August — in which, so far, he's running against candidates who lack his name recognition — Mike Rogers will face the winner who emerges from a crowded field of Democratic candidates in November.
Recent polls have shown a close race between U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, State Senator Mallory McMorrow, and longtime public health official and advocate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
