(DailyEmailNews.com) – Former House Intelligence Committee chairman and former FBI agent Mike Rogers emerged victorious in Michigan’s competitive Republican Senate primary.
Rogers is set to challenge Representative Elissa Slotkin. Although early polls favor Slotkin, Rogers remains optimistic.
Meanwhile, Slotkin herself overcame a challenge from actor Hill Harper in her primary and has been a strong contender to fill the seat of retiring Senator Debbie Stabenow.
While historically leaning blue at the statewide level, Michigan has not seen a Republican senator in three decades.
However, GOP nominee Donald Trump’s 2016 victory in the state shows some level of GOP prowess.
In an interview with National Review on the eve of the primary, Rogers highlighted,“We have tried to stitch as much of the factions of a Republican Party in Michigan together as possible, and we think we’ve been pretty successful at that.”
The Michigan GOP has faced significant turmoil under former chairwoman Kristina Karamo’s leadership, marked by internal disputes and financial issues.
Karamo’s tenure ended in controversy, which caused her ouster in January. Her successor Pete Hoekstra sought to restructure the party into a more professional organization by aligning with Trump’s grassroots movement to better mobilize local volunteers.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee invested heavily in supporting Rogers with a robust statewide field program.
This backing helped Rogers win early voting over competitors Justin Amash, Sherry O’Donnell and Sandy Pensler.
Reflecting on his campaign strategy, Rogers mentioned, “We believed that we could put the biggest part of all the coalitions together to win. And I think, clearly, we’ve been able to do that.”
Rogers, who describes himself as not a “Never Trumper” but someone who has voiced differences in style, received a kind of endorsement from Trump, who called him “tough but fair.”
Regarding the impact of Kamala Harris’ role in the Democrat presidential campaign, Rogers was critical.
He said, “This is not your mother’s Democrat Party. This is not your grandfather’s Democrat Party. It is so far left.”
He argued that Harris’ close association with Joe Biden on various issues might weaken their appeal, stating, “We’re cutting into their coalitions, because people realize this isn’t working. It’s a disaster.”
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