Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is preparing to enter the race for U.S. Senate in Michigan just months after the Republican lost narrowly to Democrat Elissa Slotkin
Republican Mike Rogers to again run for Senate in Michigan, AP sources sayBy JOEY CAPPELLETTI and THOMAS BEAUMONTAssociated PressThe Associated PressLANSING, Mich.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is gearing up to announce another Republican bid for U.S. Senate in Michigan, just months after he narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of his plans.
Two sources familiar with Rogers’ plans confirmed his intention to enter the 2026 race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. The sources requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss Rogers’ plans.
In a statement posted Thursday on the social platform X, Rogers said he is “strongly considering joining the fight once again” and that “good news is coming soon.” Oakland County GOP Chair Vance Patrick confirmed that Rogers’ team had reached out Thursday to discuss the potential bid.
The race for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat is poised to be one of the nation’s most fiercely contested after Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced Tuesday he is retiring and will not seek a third term. Peters’ retirement adds a new challenge for Senate Democrats as they work to regain control of the chamber, currently held by Republicans with a 53-47 majority.
This marks the second consecutive cycle in which Michigan Democrats must defend an open Senate seat, following Debbie Stabenow’s decision not to seek a fifth term in 2024. In that race, Rogers fell to Slotkin by nearly 19,000 votes.
An Army veteran and former FBI agent, Rogers was elected to Congress in 2000 and served seven terms in the House, the last two as chair of the committee that oversees U.S. intelligence agencies. He left office in 2015 and served briefly on President Donald Trump’s transition team as a national security advisor.
If Rogers enters the race, he will likely be in a stronger position than last cycle, with increased name recognition and several extra months to campaign — unlike the previous cycle when he joined nearly six months after Slotkin.
But he lacks the advantage of campaigning alongside Trump, who frequently visited the battleground state during his successful run for the presidency. Trump received nearly 80,000 more votes in Michigan than former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Both major parties could have crowded primaries in Michigan’s Senate race. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is currently considering a Democratic run, as is second-term Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
Republican Tudor Dixon, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2022, is also considering a Senate bid. Republicans have not won a U.S. Senate race in Michigan in over 30 years.
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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
