DETROIT — Republican ex-Rep. Mike Rogers is trailing Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin in fundraising in the Michigan Senate race but has help on the way after securing a key conservative endorsement Wednesday.
Americans for Prosperity Action endorsed Rogers with six days to go until the Aug. 6 primary, where he faces a former colleague, Justin Amash.
Slotkin leads Rogers in recent polling by about 5 points.
Both candidates are facing competition in their respective primaries — Rogers is up against the unorthodox Republican-turned-independent Amash, and Slotkin seeks to outshine actor Hill Harper.
“If elected, Michiganders can look to him to oppose inflationary government spending and vote to secure the border that has been neglected by the current administration,” the conservative group said of Rogers.
AFP Action will contribute a $1.7 million ad buy to the Rogers cause in August, plus “data and digital capabilities.”
As of June 30, Slotkin had raised $22.3 million and still has about $9.6 million on hand. Rogers has raised $4.9 million and has $2.5 million on hand.
So if Rogers becomes the nominee, his Democratic opponent will have nearly four times more cash on hand.
Amash’s fundraising hasn’t broken into the millions, but on the Democratic side, Harper has raised $2.4 million with $210,000 on hand.
Retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow will complete her fourth term this year, leaving the seat up for grabs this November.
Gary Peters, Michigan’s other senator, has been mentioned as a possible “dark horse” running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.
Peters’ seat is up again in 2026.