Former Michigan Representative Mike Rogers is seriously thinking about running for the U.S. Senate. He would be entering the race to succeed Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, whose term will be ending in January 2027.
Rogers made a statement about his potential Senate candidacy on his social media account on Thursday. The ex-Republican legislator emphasized his ties to former President Donald Trump and the backing he has garnered from the people of Michigan.
“For the past couple of years, I have been crisscrossing Michigan with the encouragement of President Trump and millions of supporters,” Rogers stated on social media. “What I have come to realize above all else is that the hardworking people of Michigan deserve determined and trustworthy representation that will stand by President Trump.”
Rogers is a one-time FBI special agent who later served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee during his tenure in Congress. A one-time GOP critic of Trump who mulled a White House run of his own in 2024, Rogers became a strong supporter of the then-Republican presidential nominee and won his endorsement.
In 2024, Rogers ran for US Senate and narrowly lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who worked in both former President George W. Bush and former President Barack Obama’s administrations.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is reportedly taking a “serious look” at throwing his hat in the ring, according to Axios.
“Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve,” a person close to Buttigieg told Axios.
Prior to becoming a player on the national stage, Buttigieg served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana. In 2022, Buttigieg announced his family’s plan to move to his husband’s home state of Michigan.
“Moving to Chasten’s hometown of Traverse City allowed them to be closer to his parents, which became especially important to them after they adopted their twins, often relying on Chasten’s parents for help with childcare,” a spokesperson for then-Transportation Secretary Buttigieg told The Hill at the time.
In 2026, Michigan voters will face two major choices: selecting a new senator and a new governor. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is not eligible to run again due to the state’s term limits. Whitmer was first elected in 2018 and then re-elected in 2022. Her current term will end on Jan. 1, 2027.