(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/02/2023) During an Off the Record appearance last March, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers sent signals that he was focused on running for the Republican presidential nomination.
He was fixed on sharing his message of collaborative problem-solving in the early presidential primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, hoping a focus on policy might “reignite optimism in the American Dream.”
When quizzed on the possibly more feasible bid for the Michigan U.S. Senate seat, he reflected, "I'm not sure I'm thinking about running for the U.S. Senate now (but) I've learned never to say never in politics. I have learned that."
Off camera, the Livingston County native conceded that he and his wife, Kristi Rogers, were living in Florida, making a U.S. Senate run a little bit of a hurdle.
Well, that was then. Now is now.
Although he's not ready to announce his candidacy for the GOP senate nomination, MIRS has learned the former state Senate Majority Floor Leader is nearing an announcement for the post being left next year by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing).
MIRS has learned Rogers has received strong encouragement, especially from those disaffected Republicans who are looking for someone to re-unite a badly divided state party. They think the national security-minded Rogers could be that person.
Those who have closed their checkbooks and left the new state party leaders to fend for themselves, have reportedly told Rogers they will re-open those checkbooks to help him out.
Before the formal announcement, there are some loose-end business issues to be resolved before he is ready to confirm all this.
But after that, you can look for those Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate bumper stickers to appear in a move that will significantly change the chemistry of the race to replace outgoing Stabenow.
Currently, the state Board of Education member Nikki Snyder and business executive Michael Hoover are the only Republicans to report raising money for a U.S. Senate campaign. Attorney Alexandria Taylor has launched a campaign for the GOP nomination, as well.
