Questions about the location and status of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers resurfaced over the weekend, leading to renewed attacks by Democrats ahead of next month’s election.
On Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported that Rogers’ home in White Lake does not have a certificate of occupancy, despite being the location of his voter registration since July.
The story also raised the issue of whether Rogers may have violated election law by using that address for voting purposes.
After leaving Congress, Rogers eventually moved to Florida, later returning to Michigan shortly before launching his campaign for U.S. Senate.
The Free Press reported Rogers and his wife bought a small house in White Lake on July 1, 2023. Shortly after this, he registered to vote using his brother’s residence in Genoa Township, while the White Lake home was demolished with plans to have a new home built on the property.
The Rogers campaign, according to the Free Press, stated that the White Lake home has been fully constructed and final utility installation is the final step before occupancy.
A request for comment left Monday with a Rogers spokesperson was not immediately returned.
Democrats quickly pounced on the story.
“After he abandoned Michigan to walk through the revolving door at the expense of Michiganders, Mike Rogers is back to run for Senate, but he has been lying about where he lives,” Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Sam Chan said in a statement. “Rogers is trying to fool voters, and his campaign owes Michiganders answers about where he actually lives.”
It’s not the first time that Rogers’ residency has come up this election cycle.
Earlier this year, the Michigan Advance reported that Rogers never lived at the property purchased in White Lake, which was later demolished, and a new home was being built on the property.
Both candidates have faced questions about their housing situations. U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) faced questions during her 2022 reelection campaign over a short-term condominium rental from a campaign donor (See Gongwer Michigan Report, September 23, 2022).
In 2023, she moved back to Holly. A New York Post article noted in August that Slotkin has used a farm tax credit at her Holly home, despite there being no farming licenses or agricultural activity ongoing at the residence. It was pointed out that the home already held the agricultural exemption before she took ownership of the home, which is one way in which a homeowner can continue to use such a credit.
–By Nick Smith
