Mike Rogers courts Michigan Democrats and Trump voters as GOP hopes to hold the Senate

Mike Rogers is leaning into Michigan’s Democrats and Trump-leaning voters as he tries to win an open-seat U.S. Senate race in November and keep Republicans in control. Speaking outside Cody High School on Detroit’s west side, the former congressman framed reading achievement as a “civil rights issue,” while targeting Democratic segments—especially Black and Jewish voters—who he believes could be put off by progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s positions, including on U.S.-Israel relations. Rogers lost his previous Senate bid by fewer than 19,000 votes in a field of more than 5.5 million. He is also working to turn out Trump loyalists without having Trump on the ballot. The campaign is banking on gains in Wayne County, where El-Sayed won last time by over 2-to-1.