Crucial Michigan Senate showdown between Rogers and Slotkin is set

Former Rep. Mike Rogers won the Republican primary for Senate in Michigan on Tuesday, setting up a showdown against Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin in one of this fall’s most competitive races.

Rogers, a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, was leading comfortably when the Associated Press called the race. He prevailed over a field that had whittled down in recent months after he secured former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Three of his opponents dropped out: Former Rep. Peter Meijer and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig before the ballot was finalized, and businessperson Sandy Pensler during a Trump rally last month.

Rogers was the preferred candidate of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which helped recruit him into the race. He served in Congress for 14 years.

Slotkin had a nominal primary as well. She easily beat actor Hill Harper.

Michigan is set to be a key Senate race this cycle, especially because it is an open seat. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow is retiring, and the open-seat race is one of about a half-dozen that both parties see as central to the fight to control the Senate next year.

But Slotkin begins with a massive financial edge. By mid-July she had $8.7 million in cash on hand, compared with Rogers’ $2.5 million.

And Republicans have struggled statewide in Michigan in recent years, since Trump’s 2016 victory. Republicans haven’t won a Senate race in Michigan since 1994.