LANSING — The Michigan GOP Senate Showdown is “becoming more of a headache than Republicans had hoped.” The primary has become a “bruising affair” with lots of “conservative unrest,” making it “more complicated” for Republicans.
Q: What do Rogers’ Michigan house and his campaign have in common? A: They’re both in shambles. Rogers faces more controversy over his “never lived in” Michigan “house” (or lack thereof) that “has been demolished” with “no timeline” for when a new one will be built.
Here’s the latest on the “messy” GOP primary that will “disadvantage Republicans:”
- Missing: Rogers’ Michigan “house.” Reward if found: Rogers’ $1.7 million Florida mansion. Rogers does not currently own a house in Michigan. In fact, the house he does own has “never [been] lived in” by him and “has been demolished,” and his campaign refused to provide a timeline for when Rogers will have a house in Michigan.
- You can find Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood in the Sunshine State. Rachel Maddow pointed out the hypocrisy that Rogers is “registered to vote in Florida at his very nice house in Cape Coral, Florida.”
- Courier Newsroom noted that if Rogers remains registered to vote in Florida, he “technically wouldn’t even be able to vote for himself in Michigan.”
- Q: “Does a messy Michigan Republican primary await?” A. Yes. The Cook Political Report highlighted Michigan’s “crowded GOP contest” that could easily turn into a “bruising affair” making it “hard [for candidates] to navigate.” With lots of “conservative unrest,” it could be a “messy clash” that “hampers” Republicans.
- Anyone have ibuprofen? The chaotic GOP primary is “becoming more of a headache than Republicans had hoped” as the “expensive” intraparty battle will “disadvantage Republicans.”
- Amash didn’t hold back, slamming Rogers for defending “unconstitutional, warrantless surveillance of Americans.”
- Thursday marked the anniversary of Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade being leaked. As women across the country were ripped from their freedom to make their own personal medical decisions, Mike Rogers, Justin Amash, and Sandy Pensler all celebrated.
- It’s brutal out here. Trump has complicated the Republicans’ chaotic primary, causing “pushback” with 25 of the 60 Michigan RNC delegates signing a resolution urging Trump to rescind his endorsement of Rogers. Reporters have pointed out that it could be a “significant liability.”
See for yourself:
Michigan Advance: A new house is being built for Mr. Rogers in his not-yet-neighborhood
- The White Lake Township home owned by GOP former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who’s running for U.S. Senate, has been demolished, with a new home under construction in its place.
- The one-bedroom, 728-square-foot home, purchased by Rogers and his wife, Kristi, for $295,000 in July 2023, became a focus of questions about Rogers residency in January when the Michigan Advance first reported that he had never actually resided at the White Lake property.
- At the time, Rogers’ campaign provided copies of Oakland County permits to plug an onsite well and install a new one at the home, which had undergone $100,000 in renovations prior to its sale.
- But as of Tuesday morning, the old house was gone and the cement foundation for a new structure was in its place.
- There were no workers or active construction visible at the time.
- A sign on the property indicated the construction was being handled by EBI Inc., a home building company owned by Rogers’ brother, Bill Rogers.
- Mike Rogers campaign spokesman Chris Gustafson confirmed for the Advance that Rogers was still staying at the Genoa Township home of his sister-in-law with plans to move into the White Lake Township home once it was completed, although no timeline was provided.
- Rogers has been accused by political rivals of being a “carpetbagger” in his pursuit of Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat…
- …Rogers later moved into a 4,751-square-foot home in Cape Coral, Fla., valued at $1.7 million.
- That home, which he still owns, was his official residence until his decision to run for U.S. Senate last year.
Rachel Maddow on Rogers’ residency problems
Courier Newsroom: “Now that [Mike Rogers] is running to challenge Democratic candidate, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, for Michigan’s open Senate seat, however, things have appeared to change. Public records show that Rogers appears to have moved to Cape Coral, Florida in 2015, where he owns a $1.7 million mansion and is still listed as a current resident and voter there. If this remains his status, Rogers technically wouldn’t even be able to vote for himself in Michigan.”
Cook Political Report: Does a Messy Michigan Republican Primary Await?
- …The Wolverine State is set to have a crowded GOP contest.
- And ultimately, how competitive this contest… becomes may turn on the outcome of the primary and if it devolves into a bruising affair.
- There have already been some signs of conservative unrest. In March, 25 of Michigan’s 60 delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer signed a letter urging Trump to reconsider his endorsement of Rogers. “Rogers represents the worst of what the Republican Party stood for prior to the rise of Donald J. Trump, and Rogers becoming the U.S. Senate candidate would be a backslide back toward the days of neoconservatism and globalism,” the resolution reads.
- Despite only jumping into the race at the end of February, in one month [Amash] managed to raise more than $478,000 — almost half of what Rogers raised in three months.
- Pensler poses the greatest threat to Rogers based solely on his ability to self-fund.
- The next few months will tell whether this is a… messy clash between three Republicans, possibly hampering them heading into the general election.
AP: The unexpected, under-the-radar Senate race in Michigan that could determine control of the chamber
- But the campaigns of former U.S. Reps. Justin Amash and Peter Meijer, who ended his bid last week, as well as businessman Sandy Pensler, made his task a little more complicated.
- [Trump’s endorsement of Rogers] has been met with pushback from some hardline Republicans…
- Questions linger over whether it will hurt or help in the general election.
- The endorsement has not helped Rogers’ fundraising, either.
Politico: New ad buy reveals Senate Republicans’ Michigan problem
- The Michigan Senate race is becoming more of a headache than Republicans had hoped.
- It’s turning into an expensive contest anyway.
- And a fierce TV war will disadvantage Republicans…
- Now he’s back — a sign [Pensler will] stay in, and keep fighting, to the chagrin of the Republicans who had hoped for a quiet primary.
Michigan Democratic Party: REMINDER: Rogers, Amash, and Pensler Celebrated Dobbs Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade
Michigan Democratic Party: Trump Has Complicated GOP Senate Candidates’ “Brutal Intraparty Battle” as Rogers, Amash, and Pensler “Bash One Another”
###
