Republican Mike Rogers Closes Gap in Key Michigan Senate Race

In the highly contested Michigan Senate race, Republican candidate Mike Rogers has made significant strides against Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, narrowing her lead to just 3.5 points, according to a new poll from The Detroit News. The latest results show Slotkin at 46.8% among likely voters, with Rogers close behind at 43.3%.

This marks a notable shift from late August, when Slotkin held an 8.5-point lead. Since then, Rogers has gained considerable ground, largely due to undecided voters swinging in his favor. In August, Rogers was polling at 35% to Slotkin’s 43.5%, with 15% of voters undecided. Now, that undecided bloc has shrunk to just 5.4%, and Rogers' support has jumped to 43.3%.

The poll’s findings align with the broader trend seen in the RealClearPolitics average, where Rogers has closed to within 3 points of Slotkin, down from a 5-point gap in mid-September.

Key factors driving Rogers' surge:

• Conservative super PACs have pumped over $30 million into Michigan’s Senate race, with the Great Lakes Conservative Fund alone spending $8 million on statewide ads last week. The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Mitch McConnell, committed $22.5 million to bolster Rogers' campaign.

• Rogers has hit Slotkin hard on her past support for electric vehicle (EV) mandates, a contentious issue in Michigan’s auto-heavy economy. While Slotkin now claims to oppose mandates, Rogers has highlighted her vote against a bipartisan bill that would have blocked the Biden-Harris administration from requiring two-thirds of new vehicles sold to be electric.

Kate DeTurk, Rogers’ Press Secretary, said Michigan voters see through Slotkin’s “lip service” on key issues. “Voters recognize Mike Rogers has their back when it comes to fighting the job-killing EV mandate, securing the border, and fixing the economy,” DeTurk said in a statement.

Slotkin’s campaign faces additional challenges, as her internal polling reportedly shows Vice President Kamala Harris struggling in Michigan, with Harris polling “underwater” among voters a troubling sign for the Democratic ticket in a crucial battleground state.

The Michigan Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the 2024 election cycle, with Cook Political Report rating it as a “toss-up” alongside key Senate contests in Ohio and Wisconsin. Republicans are targeting all three seats as they seek to flip the Senate from Democratic control.

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