With former President Donald Trump surging in the polls ahead of November, thoughts in some corners have turned to making sure he has a Republican House and Senate with which to work should he prevail.
To that end, Michigan Republican businessman Sandy Pensler announced over the weekend that he was dropping out of a hotly contested Senate race in the Great Lakes State and endorsing former Rep. Mike Rogers instead, as The Hill reports.
The Detroit-area business leader make his announcement during Trump's weekend rally in Grand Rapids.
Pensler addressed the crowd, explaining the rationale that caused him to enter the race as well as the reasons for his decision to withdraw at this time.
“My campaign was always about making America better. The best way to do that is to enact President Trump's policies,” Pensler stated.
He then declared, “To do that, we need control of the Senate. A divisive continued primary effort hurts the chances of that, and that's not okay.”
“So tonight, I'm doing the right thing and ceasing my Senate candidacy,” Pensler went on.
The now-former Senate candidate then turned threw his support behind Rogers, echoing Trump's own sentiments on the matter.
“President Trump endorsed Mike Rogers. Tonight, so am I,” said Pensler.
The move spurred gratitude from Rogers, who remains one of the last remaining GOP contenders in the battle to secure the seat of retiring, longtime Democrat lawmaker Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
“Thank you, Sandy. I am honored to have you stand with us and all Republicans to win the state of Michigan,” Rogers said.
The former congressman went on, “Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your leadership. You're going to be an important voice going forward in our party in Michigan.”
Pensler's departure from the primary races leaves former Congressman Justin Amash as the only remaining GOP primary contestant potentially capable of mounting any sort of challenge, as the Associated Press notes, though his prior support for Trump's impeachment may hinder his chances significantly in this election season.
As of now, it appears that the winner of the GOP primary will face off against Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin this fall and given that the Cook Political Report now classifies the battle for the seat as a “toss up,” all eyes will certainly be on this contest as Election Day draws near.
