Former House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers announced Wednesday that he is running for Michigan’s open Senate seat, becoming the first prominent Republican in the race.
Rogers, who served seven terms in the House, was first elected to Congress in 2000, winning the seat vacated when Democrat Debbie Stabenow decided to run for the Senate. Rogers now hopes to succeed Stabenow in the Senate.
“Michigan’s way of life is worth defending. That’s why I served in the Army. That’s why I served in the FBI taking down organized crime. That’s why I led the House Intelligence Committee in the hard years after 9/11,” Rogers said in an announcement video posted on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
His first House race was close; he won by only 111 votes in a competitive district. Redistricting played in his favor and his subsequent races were relatively easy. Rogers became Intelligence chairman in 2011.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines welcomed Rogers to the race.
“Mike Rogers has devoted his life to serving the people of Michigan and holding communist China accountable. Mike is the type of candidate who can perform well with suburban Michiganders and be a strong part of the eventual ticket in Michigan. I am pleased to see Mike stepping up to run for the U.S. Senate,” the Montana Republican said in a statement.
A former FBI agent and state senator, Rogers has long been a frequent guest on the cable news and talk radio airwaves. He joined Cumulus as a radio host when he left Congress and has had a number of roles since then. He both hosted and served as executive producer for a CNN documentary series about American intelligence operatives, as chairman of the MITRE Corp.’s board of trustees.
At the time of his announcement Wednesday, Rogers was serving on the board of trustees of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.
Holding on to the Michigan Senate seat is a top priority for Democrats, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin appears to be the frontrunner on the Democratic side in the open seat contest. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, entered the race at the end of February.
Actor Hill Harper is also among the announced Democratic candidates.
Former GOP Rep. Peter Meijer has formed an exploratory committee, telling the Detroit Free Press last week: “It will take someone who can’t be bought and is willing to be bold, and I am considering running for Senate to do my part to get us out of this mess.”
Sarah Guggenheimer, spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, said in a statement that, “while Rogers may be the first to enter the race, he’s unlikely to be the last, turning this race into yet another messy GOP primary.”
“Time to get out the popcorn,” Guggenheimer added.
The Michigan race was rated Lean Democratic by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales ahead of the Rogers announcement.
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