Former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers will face off against Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin for Michigan’s vacant Senate seat after both candidates won handily in Tuesday night’s primary election.
When the Associated Press reported their victories at 9 p.m., Slotkin, 48, and Rogers, 61, had received 75.2 percent and 69.8 percent of the vote, respectively.
The race is expected to be tight, but polls show Slotkin, a three-term congresswoman who represents much of Mid-Michigan, including the Detroit suburbs and Lansing, leading by five points.
Rogers is a familiar face in Michigan and national politics.
He represented the same district Slotkin was first elected to from 2001 to 2015, and he brought his past experience as an FBI agent to the table.
Rogers supported extending the Patriot Act and passing the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which aims to strengthen the government’s surveillance capabilities.
In 2022, Rogers appeared to break with former President Donald Trump, saying, “It’s time to move on.”
However, in 2024, he secured President Trump’s endorsement and rallied alongside the former president.
This gave him a victory over former Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash, who had previously called for Trump’s impeachment.
On the eve of the primary, Rogers said the economy would be a top issue in the race. “Oh, it’s definitely the economy,” Rogers said.
“I think we’re going to start having a much larger discussion about the cost of groceries and gasoline.”
But earlier this week, he hosted a fundraiser at his country club with Riley Gaines and other NCAA athletes who have been vocal about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Slotkin handily won the primary by defeating Hill Harper, a TV actor who appeared in “The Good Doctor” and bragged about her relationship with former President Barack Obama.
Harper He criticized Slotkin for supporting Israel.and for signature Non-disclosure agreement This resulted in a ban on discussing a Chinese battery factory in Michigan.
Slotkin made abortion access a key issue throughout her campaign, appearing at several events to portray herself as an opponent of federal legislation that would block a nationwide abortion ban.
The primary results give Rogers and Slotkin 90 days left to appeal to Michigan voters, who haven’t elected a Republican senator since 1994.
