There was a political earthquake in Michigan last week when U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) told the world that she would not be running for re-election next year. The announcement was totally unexpected and set off a frenzy of speculation on both sides of the aisle.
The Democrats desperately need to hang on to the seat, and are hoping to use this opportunity to entrench a younger person in there for the next few decades. The Republicans would dearly love to pick this one up.
So there’s no shortage of interest on both sides, and this will be FUN to watch over the next 22 months.
The hottest name among the Democrats is our very own Congresswoman, U.S. Rep Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing). Other big-name Dems rumored to be looking at the seat include Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell. Slotkin is definitely the favorite.
The Republican names include former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, current U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, and all the people who ran for governor in 2022 and lost.
One name has NOT shown up on any Republican speculation list, though, and I really, really would like it to start showing up.
Yes, as a Michigander, as a Livingston Countyite, as a Republican, and as someone who would love for our next U.S. Senator to be a smart, reasonable, qualified person, this is my plea:
MIKE ROGERS! RUN FOR SENATE! PLEASE!
Livingston County’s own Mike Rogers — former Congressman, former State Senator, former FBI agent, Army veteran — would be far and away the best candidate the Republicans could nominate in 2024. Nobody else is even close. He’s everything we could ask for in a candidate, and if he were elected, he would immediately rank as one of the best Senators in Washington.
So I’ll say it again:
MIKE ROGERS! RUN FOR SENATE! PLEASE!
If you can’t tell, I’m a huge Mike Rogers fan. Like most everyone in Livingston County, I know Mike and I like Mike, and if he decides to do the right thing and run for the U.S. Senate, I’ll donate money to his campaign and knock on doors for him.
If you DON’T know Mike, here’s the short version of his life story. He’s the youngest son of the most storied political family in Livingston County history. His dad was the late John Rogers, the longtime Brighton Township supervisor. His mom was the late Joyce Rogers, the longtime executive director of the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce and one of my favorite people ever.
Mike grew up in Brighton, graduated from Howell High School and then went on to serve in the U.S. Army and with the FBI. He was elected to the State Senate in 1994 and then to the U.S. House in 2000. He served in the House for seven terms, and when he left office in 2015, he was the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and one of the most respected people in Washington.
He’s as conservative as they come, but he’s also practical and friendly and was known for how well he worked across the aisle, particularly on matters of national security.
So when a U.S. Senate seat comes open in his home state, WHY IN THE HELL ISN’T HE THE FIRST NAME OUT OF OUR MOUTHS?
Instead, I’ve heard absolutely no speculation regarding Mike Rogers for Senate in 2024. Mike himself is actually talking about running for PRESIDENT in 2024, but there’s no way he would have a prayer in that race.
If he were to run for Senate, though, he would immediately move to the front of the class. He’s a spectacular campaigner, he’s a great fundraiser, and most importantly, he’s not a wacko nut. We Republicans need a smart, qualified candidate who is NOT a wacko nut, and please tell me anyone who fits that description better than Mike Rogers.
So, yes. If there’s a “Draft Mike Rogers” effort, you can count me in.
Now, let’s say he DOES see the light and that he decides to run for the U.S. Senate. And let’s say that things stay the way they look right now and that Elissa Slotkin is the Democrats’ nominee. Let’s say it’s Mike Rogers vs. Elissa Slotkin for the U.S. Senate in 2024.
That, my friends, would be one helluva fascinating election.
Folks on the Democratic side would say that Slotkin is their version of Mike Rogers – and not just because she’s holding essentially the same Congressional seat that he used to hold. As a Democrat, she’s everything that Mike Rogers is – smart, reasonable, great campaigner, huge national-security bonafides.
If it were Mike Rogers vs. Elissa Slotkin, we’d have a smart, reasonable, national security Republican vs. a smart, reasonable, national security Democrat. What a wonderful dilemma that would be for our great state!
And then there’s this wild card: Mike Rogers and Elissa Slotkin actually like and respect each other. I’ve heard Slotkin say how much she respects Rogers and I’ve heard that they talk often. You might even say they’re friends. They’re the modern-day version of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter – political opposites who like and respect each other.
So, that begs the question: Would Mike Rogers want to run against his friend Elissa Slotkin? And if so, what would a Rogers v. Slotkin Senate race look like? Would they become the only Senate opponents in recent U.S. history to concentrate on the issues and leave the personal attacks behind?
I’d sure love to find out.
I have no doubt that Elissa Slotkin will run for Senate. We need Mike Rogers to do the same.
