Republican Super PAC Pledges $45 Million to Boost Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate Race

A national Republican group said Monday it is dumping $45 million into Michigan's open U.S. Senate race as an initial investment to help presumptive GOP nominee Mike Rogers flip the seat from Democratic control.

The Senate Leadership Fund, a super political action committee affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, said it is the organization's largest and earliest ever investment in Michigan, which Republicans consider one of the best pickup opportunities of the fall midterm elections.

The early spending includes broadcast, cable, streaming TV, and radio ad reservations and ensures that the SLF can get better rates and more TV inventory in Michigan than it did in the 2024 cycle, when the group did not jump in until Sept. 30, a little more than a month before the election.

The ad reservations will begin in late August and cover Michigan's entire early-voting period, starting a month earlier than in 2024 when Rogers, a former seven-term congressman from White Lake Township, narrowly lost the Senate race to Democratic then-U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Holly by about 19,000 votes.

That cycle, the Senate PAC spent a total of $34.33 million to help Rogers in Michigan after spending $17.75 million in Michigan in 2020 when GOP nominee John James lost to Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township.

The large and early spending commitment by SLF this cycle is a nod of confidence in Rogers team after he largely cleared the primary field and locked up President Donald Trump endorsement last summer.

The money is part of a $342 million national investment that SLF announced Monday in Senate battleground states.

Senate Leadership Fund historic investment is a testament to the strength of Mike Rogers and our commitment to flip Michigan red in November, SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement.

Senate Republicans are going on defense in other states

The Michigan spending is the most among the GOPs top pickup opportunities by state, with the group also announcing $44 million for Georgia and $17 million for New Hampshire.

SLF is also spending millions of dollars to defend Republican-held seats in Ohio $79 million, North Carolina $71 million, Maine $42 million, Iowa $29 million and Alaska $15 million.

This is big for Michigan it is big for Mike Rogers because it is one of three Dem-held seats where they are putting money and it is got the most money said John Sellek a consultant who has worked for Republican candidates and is CEO of the firm Harbor Strategic Public Affairs.

It obviously means the Washington folks are happy with Mike Rogers campaign team and how he is carrying himself and raising funds. It definitely is an acknowledgement of the fact that even the Democrats think the primary is a dumpster fire and could be a disaster for them. Notably the Michigan seat potentially would not even have been on the GOP radar screen if Peters were running again Sellek added.

Missing from the SLF list is Texas which the group executive director Latcham told the New York Times that he did not currently see as competitive.

While the SLF funding is a sign that Republicans intend to heavily target the Michigan Senate race analyst Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia Center for Politics cautioned that future bookings do not guarantee that the Senate Republicans will spend the money.

What happens with the Michigan television bookings whether they are expanded cut or maintained might illustrate how the Republicans view the overall political environment in the fall Kondik said.

I personally think Michigan is the most plausible Senate Republican pickup opportunity in part because of the uncertainty in the Democratic primary so it stands to reason that Republicans would heavily invest in this race Kondik said.

What effect the spending has is up for debate it may matter on the margins but other factors such as the quality of the two candidates and the broader political environment will matter more Kondik said.

SLF Democratic counterpart the Senate Majority PAC that is affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans are pouring money into Michigan because they see the writing on the wall.

Without Trump on the ballot Rogers needs every dollar he can get Senate Majority PAC Press Secretary Christyna Thompson said Monday.

The GOP knows they have got a weak candidate who has already burned millions of their dollars last cycle Thompson said.

But none of that changes the math Rogers is shackled to an out-of-touch agenda that is deeply unpopular with the voters they are trying to win Thompson said.

How the PAC spending commitment compares with the 2024 election

Last cycle the largest spending by outside groups in Michigans race behind SLF was $23 million by WinSenate PAC a group affiliated with Senate Democrats followed by the pro-Rogers Great Lakes Conservatives Fund with about $21 million according to OpenSecrets.

It remains unclear who Rogers will face in the November election.

Prominent contenders in the Democratic primary contest to replace Peters who is retiring include U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor.

More Two Michigan Senate hopefuls have shunned corporate PAC money. One is raking it in Stevens led the fundraising among Democratic hopefuls last year however McMorrow announced Monday that she had raised over $3 million in the first three months of 2026 the largest quarterly haul to date.

Campaign finance reports are due April 15.

Stevens noted the $45 million pledge of support for Rogers during a campaign stop Monday in Lansing. She toured a United Association Local 333 plumbers and pipefitters union facility.

She contended that she was the best-positioned candidate in the Democratic primary field to beat Rogers.

This is about taking on Mike Rogers and being able to beat Mike Rogers which every single poll repeatedly shows that I am the best to beat Mike Rogers if not the only person who can beat Mike Rogers Stevens told reporters.

And you know $45 million is coming in to help him take Michigan Stevens said.

I am out here listening to people hearing directly from people about the rising costs over and over again Stevens said.

The SLF commitment of $45 million in Michigan will cover broadcast cable streaming TV and radio airtime reservations as well as data direct mail text messaging field outreach a ballot chase for unreturned absentee ballots and get-out-the-vote efforts the Thune-affiliated group said Monday.

Supporters are betting on Michigan because they know that Mike Rogers has what it takes to win and save our state Rogers spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet said in a statement.

Last month the group Sentinel Action Fund said it would spend $15 million with an allied group Right Vote to boost Rogers money that will reportedly go to advertising voter outreach and early-vote operations across Michigan.

Slotkin spent about $50 million to Rogers $13 million in the 2024 cycle while outside groups poured in $143 million according to OpenSecrets an organization that tracks money in politics.

This year national Republicans are more bullish on their chances of flipping a seat in Michigan. They note that the last time the GOP won a Senate race in Michigan in 1994 when former state Republican Party Chairman Spence Abraham defeated former Democratic U.S. Rep. Bob Carr was also the last year the state held a protracted competitive Democratic Senate primary.

The Senate Leadership Fund early investment signals a shift in strategy for the Michigan race compared to previous cycles. The organization has reserved advertising inventory and data resources months in advance to lock in better pricing and availability throughout Michigan.

The Democratic Party responds with its own confidence in the upcoming primary.

McMorrow raised more than $3 million in the first quarter of 2026 according to her campaign. More than 120,000 real people have donated to this campaign since the start McMorrow said in a video statement.

There was not a dime of corporate PAC donations just 120,000 people like you McMorrow said.

Despite McMorrow claim that she has not accepted funds from any PACs federal data shows that the state senator has received more than $34,000 from corporate PACs for her U.S. Senate campaign.

Beyond fundraising McMorrow pointed to early organizational strength. Her campaign gathered more than double the required number of signatures to qualify for the ballot collecting them across all 83 counties in Michigan. She also said the effort relied entirely on volunteers without paid canvassers.

We collected double what is required to get on the ballot and we did it in all 83 counties McMorrow said.

We have gone from third place at launch to now leading by 5 percentage points McMorrow said.

McMorrow is competing in a crowded Democratic primary alongside Rep. Haley Stevens and public health expert Abdul El-Sayed to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters in 2026.

The eventual Democratic nominee is expected to face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in what is shaping up to be a competitive Senate race.

McMorrow widely viewed as a rising figure within the Democratic Party has sought to position herself as part of a new generation of leadership. She recently secured an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren a leading progressive voice.

Sens. Chris Murphy Martin Heinrich and Peter Welch have also thrown their support behind the state senator.

For generations working families have been squeezed by rising costs like housing and child care and it is time to elect a Democrat with a backbone like Mallory Warren said.

Despite the early momentum claims the race remains fluid. All three Democratic candidates are polling below 30% with a majority of voters still undecided ahead of the August primary.

The Michigan Senate race represents one of the most watched contests in the upcoming midterm elections. The seat has not been held by a Republican since 1994 when Spence Abraham defeated Bob Carr.

The last time Rogers ran for Senate was in 2024 when he lost to Elissa Slotkin by about 19,000 votes. That race saw Slotkin spend about $50 million to Rogers $13 million according to OpenSecrets data.

Outside groups poured in $143 million in the 2024 cycle according to the same source.

This year the Senate Leadership Fund is making an unprecedented early commitment that signals confidence in the Michigan race despite the recent history.

The organization is also investing heavily in other swing states including Georgia with $44 million and New Hampshire with $17 million.

Defense spending in Republican-held seats includes Ohio with $79 million North Carolina with $71 million Maine with $42 million Iowa with $29 million and Alaska with $15 million.

The Michigan spending is the most among the GOPs top pickup opportunities by state according to the Detroit News.

The early investment in Michigan also comes at a time when the Democratic primary field remains unsettled. Stevens McMorrow and El-Sayed are all still competing for the nomination.

Stevens has led fundraising among Democratic hopefuls in the past while McMorrow has shown strong grassroots momentum. She collected 70,000 donors in the first quarter alone and has earned over 75 endorsements.

The race dynamics could shift significantly by August when the primary election takes place.

What effect the spending has is up for debate it may matter on the margins but other factors such as the quality of the two candidates and the broader political environment will matter more Kondik said.

The Michigan Senate race potentially would not even have been on the GOP radar screen if Peters were running again Sellek added.

The early announcement of $45 million in spending also serves as a warning shot for Democrats that a lot of money is going to be spent in this race Thanedar said Monday.

Republicans know they are staring down defeat this November so it is no surprise they are showing their hand this early Senate Majority PAC press secretary Christyna Thompson said in a statement.

The GOP knows they have got a weak candidate who has already burned millions of their dollars last cycle Thompson said.

But none of that changes the math Rogers is shackled to an out-of-touch agenda that is deeply unpopular with the voters they are trying to win Thompson said.

Rogers spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet welcomed the support. Supporters are betting on Michigan because they know that Mike Rogers has what it takes to win and save our state she said in a statement.

The ad reservations will begin in late August and cover Michigans entire early-voting period starting a month earlier than in 2024 when Rogers narrowly lost the Senate race to Slotkin by about 19000 votes.

That cycle the Senate PAC spent a total of $3433 million to help Rogers in Michigan after spending $1775 million in Michigan in 2020 when GOP nominee John James lost to Sen. Gary Peters according to the Detroit News.

The large and early spending commitment by SLF this cycle is a nod of confidence in Rogers team after he largely cleared the primary field and locked up President Donald Trump endorsement last summer.

The money is part of a $342 million national investment that SLF announced Monday in Senate battleground states.

Senate Leadership Fund historic investment is a testament to the strength of Mike Rogers and our commitment to flip Michigan red in November SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement.