Tens of millions of dollars are streaming into Michigan’s battleground “toss-up” Senate race for Republican nominee Mike Rogers just weeks before Election Day as he takes on Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
Rogers, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has seen north of $30 million pledged from conservative super PACs in recent days to prop up his campaign on the airwaves in the final stretch of a close election that could determine Senate control.
The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and the Great Lakes Conservative Fund have launched ad campaigns worth more than $22 million and $8 million, respectively.
Although Rogers and his campaign are barred from coordinating with the groups under campaign finance laws, the support will enable him to either keep pace with or surpass Democratic spending for Slotkin as voters prepare to head to the polls.
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Ads aired by Democrats for Slotkin so far total $49 million, with at least another $20 million in reservations, per ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Republicans sit at $39 million aired for Rogers so far and another $21 million reserved, though it appeared not all of the latest pledged super PAC money had yet been reserved.
The cash dump came on the heels of Slotkin privately sounding the alarm about Democrats’ prospects in the Great Lakes State, telling donors that Vice President Kamala Harris was “underwater” in Michigan based on Slotkin’s internal polling.
The Slotkin campaign did not respond to a request for comment about her remarks or the influx of conservative ad money against her.
The Slotkin campaign has reacted to the new support for Rogers by highlighting it in email fundraising pitches. One of them warned that “Republicans are throwing everything they can at Michigan.” Another said McConnell and other Republicans were trying to “buy this election for our opponent” and requested a $3 donation.
The Rogers campaign celebrated her “underwater” comments as a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”
However, Slotkin still appears to have a steady polling edge. Candidates will often amplify the competitiveness of their race as a way to motivate donors and voters, making it difficult to decipher their true level of concern.
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Slotkin leads Rogers, backed by former President Donald Trump, by an average of nearly 5 points in recent surveys. Internal Republican polls have shown the two are far closer and within the margin of error.
The seat is held by longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who is retiring after nearly 30 years in Congress and a lifelong career in politics.