Rogers Says GOP Has Best Chance Since 1979 To Flip Michigan Senate Seat

Former Republican Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers is highlighting growing momentum in his campaign to flip a key Michigan Senate seat red during the midterms — after receiving President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Rogers said the president’s early support for his campaign gives Republicans the best shot at winning the seat vacated by retiring Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters which Democrats have held since 1979, during an exclusive interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation. The two-time Senate candidate is arguing that Trump’s endorsement and backing from national GOP groups will allow him to consolidate a winning coalition of voters in advance of the general election — while his eventual Democratic competitor is likely to emerge weaker after a messy primary fight.

“It [the president’s support] opens up the lane for us to build the ‘mother of all ground games,’” Rogers told the DCNF in a recent interview discussing the state of the race, including the campaign’s ambitious outreach efforts. “This [endorsement] allows us to focus on that, which is targeted at beating Democrats next year, and not targeted at fighting amongst ourselves, which is huge.”

Rogers, the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee who came within 20,000 votes of being elected to the Senate in 2024, is making the case that unified Republican support and a divisive Democratic primary will give him a crucial leg up as he works to win one of the most closely-watched races of the midterms. Republicans view the open Michigan seat as one of their best pathways to expand to grow their 53-seat majority and Rogers argues the early enthusiasm behind his campaign will make him well-positioned to win the seat.