EXCLUSIVE — Mike Rogers picked up a new GOP backer for his Senate campaign in Michigan, earning the endorsement of Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) on Wednesday.
Rogers, a former FBI special agent who served in the House until 2015, was recruited to join the race by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
He has received high-profile endorsements, including that of former President Donald Trump. But Rogers has also made inroads with the Republican senators he hopes to join in January.
Kennedy’s endorsement follows a visit to Washington last week, where he attended the GOP conference’s Tuesday lunch.
“He’s tough as a pine nut. He’ll be a great senator,” Kennedy told the Washington Examiner.
Rogers faces a crowded Republican primary for the seat of retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). One of his GOP rivals, former Detroit police chief James Craig, dropped out of the race in February, endorsing Rogers weeks later. But former House lawmakers Peter Meijer and Justin Amash are also competing for the GOP nomination.
Rogers leads those rivals by as much as 20 points in recent polling, pitching himself as a China hawk and campaigning in opposition to President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle regulations.
The car industry is of particular importance in Michigan, home to the “Big Three” automakers.
“Mike is going to fight Biden’s extreme climate agenda and the mandates that are crushing Michigan’s auto industry and working families,” Kennedy said in a statement, adding, “Mike Rogers understands the threat coming from Communist China and will work to keep Americans safe.”
Rogers, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee in Congress, has three other Senate endorsements besides Kennedy and Daines. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), both members of Republican leadership, have offered their support, as has freshman Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL).
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Over in the House, he is endorsed by three members of the Michigan delegation.
Should Rogers advance in the Republican primary, slated for Aug. 6, he is expected to face Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who represents Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. The two are in a statistical tie in a general election that the Cook Political Report rates as “lean Democrat.”