EXCLUSIVE — Two House Republicans are endorsing Michigan GOP Senate hopeful Mike Rogers, even as one of their congressional colleagues is still considering a primary challenge against him.
On Thursday, Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Tim Walberg (R-MI) endorsed Rogers, the former GOP congressman who narrowly lost last November to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
National Republicans have coalesced around Rogers as their best shot at nabbing the vacated battleground seat by retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI). Still, that hasn’t deterred Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) from exploring a run.
Bergman and Walberg’s backing is Rogers’s first endorsement from Michigan’s congressional delegation for his 2026 race. Both men also endorsed Rogers in his 2024 election, but their renewed support is the latest example of GOP lawmakers siding with the establishment’s preferred candidate.
In a joint statement first provided to the Washington Examiner, Bergman and Walberg said Rogers has “proven himself by outperforming nearly every other battleground contender last cycle,” and is uniquely positioned to “place Michigan as the top pick-up opportunity for Republicans in 2026.”
“Mike Rogers is the man for the moment, will flip this seat red for the first time in three decades, and has our complete and total endorsement,” they said.
Huizenga’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
President Donald Trump endorsed Rogers in his 2024 campaign against Slotkin but has yet to comment on the midterm contest. He has not prevented Huizenga from floating a challenge, though.
Republicans want to expand their three-seat Senate majority to Michigan and Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is running for reelection. Nonpartisan election forecasters consider both states as toss-ups.
The Senate GOP’s campaign arm, known as the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and a super PAC linked to leadership called the Senate Leadership Fund, are squarely behind Rogers. He’s also backed by a number of sitting GOP senators, including Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), and NRSC Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC).
“I doubt Scott and Thune would get ahead of the president in a seat that’s so vital to flipping,” a source familiar with the Rogers campaign said in a recent interview. “There’s going to be an effort to make sure [Huizenga] stays in the House, where he should stay.”
Rogers, a former congressman and chairman of the House’s Intelligence Committee, lost to Slotkin by just 0.3%, or less than 20,000 votes, to replace retired Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Despite the loss, national Republicans see Rogers as the most viable general election candidate based on polling, his past ties to Trump, and his fundraising ability.
There’s also concern about Republicans having to defend Huizenga’s House seat, should he mount a Senate bid. House Democrats have already begun targeting the seat to potentially flip, despite it being a relatively safe district.
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In an interview with the Washington Examiner last month, Huizenga criticized Republicans who want the same candidate on the ballot but expect a different result.
“Did Mike have an opportunity? Yes. He clearly came up short,” Huizenga said. “He had issues. I like Mike. I campaigned for Mike. I did rallies with Mike. But are we just going to run the same play and expect a different result? That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.”