Senate GOP campaign arm pours money into Michigan race

The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm is making a seven-figure investment in voter turnout efforts in the Michigan Senate race, according to plans first shared with The Hill.  

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) announced Friday that it is spending seven figures in a “Michigan field program” for former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), an investment the group said in a press release “will ensure that Mike Rogers’ campaign has the necessary infrastructure on the ground to turn out Republicans and reach persuadable voters that are crucial to winning the general election.”

Rogers is vying against Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) for retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D-Mich.) seat this fall.

Rogers is running against a handful of Republicans for the GOP primary in August, though he’s seen as the favorite to win, particularly after Republican challengers James Craig and Peter Meijer dropped their bids challenging Rogers.

“The Michigan Senate race is one of our top pickup opportunities in 2024. This investment is a direct reflection of our confidence in Mike Rogers’ ability to flip this seat in November,”  NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud said in a statement.

Chris Gustafson, a spokesperson for Rogers, lauded the NRSC’s investment in a statement, calling it “unprecedented” and saying it “makes it very clear that not only is Michigan winnable, it’s the top opportunity for Republicans to secure the Senate Majority.”

“Along with our strong partnership with the Trump campaign and Republicans up and down the ballot, this investment allows our team to expand our outreach and share Mike’s message using a proven data-driven approach, and help ensure we defeat the Biden-Slotkin agenda to flip Michigan red in November,” Gustafson added.

The NRSC recruited Rogers for the Michigan Senate race and avoided a potentially messy GOP primary after Craig and Meijer exited the race. A polling average of Michigan surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill showed Slotkin with 41 percent support, leading Rogers’s 39 percent.

Michigan could offer a potential pickup opportunity for Republicans, though the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the open seat “lean Democrat.”