Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers launched his campaign Monday, declaring exclusively to Breitbart News that he was "ready to rumble" this time around.
Rogers won the primary in 2024 for Michigan's other Senate seat but narrowly lost to then-Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D).
He plans to focus on manufacturing jobs and bolstering the middle class--issues that have traditionally been Democrat talking points.
“Our polling shows us that Michigan is tracking to the right,” Rogers said. “They understand that those Liberal Democrat policies aren’t working. Matter of fact, the last four years, Michigan alone, under Governor [Gretchen] Whitmer and Joe Biden, lost 27,000 manufacturing jobs.”
“We’re a manufacturing state here,” he continued. “That is the middle class of Michigan just being evaporated. They get it’s not working. And so, you know, the whole message for us is to stop the bleeding and turn this thing around.”
Rogers blamed his 2024 loss on being underfunded from getting into the race late.
“We were underfunded. We got in late,” he said. “Seventy percent of our money came in after the primary. And if you look at all of those pieces of information, matter of fact, 500,000 people voted in early voting before we had the chance to talk to them. Getting in early is a key component to eliminate those shortcomings.”
He plans to fix that problem this time and is already traveling around the state talking to lots of people including independents.
“We are very aggressively getting around the state, talking to coalitions, talking to not only our base, but expanded base and independents, about the future of Michigan and future of the country,” he said. “And so time allows us to do those things that we just didn’t have last time.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), chairman of the National Republicans Senatorial Committee have already endorsed Rogers, which will certainly give his campaign a boost.
“It’s huge, because the Democrats are already pouring money into Michigan, and so having that unified [support] — Tim Scott being the chairman of the NRSC and the majority leader at the same time — is significant,” he said. “And I think it sends a very clear message to national donors, to Michigan donors, hey, we’re united, and we’re going to win this race in next year.”
Trump had endorsed Rogers in 2024, and he hopes to have that same endorsement next year.
He was critical of Michigan Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) for hiding behind a folder to avoid having her picture taken while at the White House for a meeting about disaster aid following a ice recent storm in the state.
“I thought, well, that tells you, this whole thing, ‘well, I’ll work with anybody,’ and then to show up and put the folder over your face so you don’t get your picture taken? Really? That tells me you’re not all that interested in the future of Michigan and manufacturing here,” he said.
