Campaign

Businessman Sandy Pensler drops out of Michigan Senate race, endorses Rogers

by Caroline Vakil - 07/20/24 7:12 PM ET

Michigan Senate candidate, former Rep. Mike Rogers, right, raises the arms of Sandy Pensler, left, who has withdrawn from the Senate primary and is now supporting Rogers, at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Businessman Sandy Pensler announced on Saturday that he would be dropping out of the Michigan Senate GOP primary on Saturday and endorsing former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.).

“My campaign was always about making America better. The best way to do that is to enact President Trump’s policies,” Pensler said during Trump’s rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., shouting “Let’s go Trump! Let’s go Trump!”

“To do that, we need control of the Senate. A divisive continued primary effort hurts the chances of that, and that’s not okay. So tonight, I’m doing the right thing and ceasing my Senate candidacy,” he continued.

“It’s the right thing. President Trump endorsed Mike Rogers. Tonight, so am I,” Pensler added.

Pensler was among a small handful of candidates left running in the Michigan Senate GOP primary for retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D-Mich.) seat.

The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm and Trump have rallied around Rogers, a former House Intelligence Committee chair, which has forced several GOP contenders to exit the race – former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.).

The Michigan Senate GOP primary is Aug. 6.

“Thank you, Sandy,” Rogers said. “I am honored to have you stand with us and all Republicans to win the state of Michigan. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your leadership. You’re going to be an important voice going forward in our party in Michigan.”

On the Democratic side, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is seen as the favorite. The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Stabenow’s seat as a “toss up.”

Michigan Democratic Party spokeswoman Sam Chan slammed Rogers in a statement, citing some of Pensler’s previous remarks about Rogers.

“As Sandy Pensler said, Mike Rogers is an ‘unprincipled career politician’ with a ‘selfish pattern of using political influence to personally profit,'” Chan said. “It’s clear that Rogers is only in this race for himself, and that’s why Michiganders can’t trust him in the Senate.”

Updated at 9:19 p.m. EST.