As Michigan Democrats consider their strongest Senate candidate, the likely Republican nominee, Mike Rogers, has an honest evaluation of the candidates.
In a recent call with supporters, Rogers expressed that his campaign is in “pretty good shape” and is optimistic about former public health official Abdul El-Sayed winning the Democratic nomination in the upcoming primary on August 4.
“If he secures the nomination, I believe we are well-positioned,” Rogers stated when asked about his strategy regarding El-Sayed. “He is quite radical, and I expect he will struggle in the western regions of the state. We anticipate strong performance in parts of the southeast. If he is indeed the nominee, we believe we will do well.”
Rogers’ remarks align with the intense discussions within the Democratic primary regarding who is best suited to keep the seat currently held by retiring Sen. Gary Peters: El-Sayed, positioning himself as a clear progressive with backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), or Rep. Haley Stevens, who is presenting as a moderate candidate.
USdaily received a recording of the call from a source who wished to remain anonymous.
To secure a Senate majority, national Democrats undoubtedly need to hold onto Michigan. Stevens’ campaign has consistently claimed that El-Sayed is too progressive for this closely contested state, insinuating that Republicans would prefer him to win the primary.
El-Sayed asserts that he is well-positioned to energize Democratic voters and attract groups that have distanced themselves from the party.
Rogers, a former House representative, is once again pursuing a Senate seat after narrowly losing to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024. He shared his insights during a June 15 call when supporters inquired about his strategy to counter the El-Sayed advertisements they had been noticing. He reassured them that these advertisements are “targeting his Democrat base” during the primary, and that Republicans would be prepared to act once a Democratic nominee is chosen.
In response to Rogers’ remarks, El-Sayed’s campaign asserted that he has “formed the most robust coalition for the general election: over 10,000 volunteers, grassroots support across the state, and a campaign driven by individuals, not corporate PAC funds.”
“Mike Rogers won’t be in ‘good shape’ in November, but the people of Michigan will be,” stated spokeswoman Roxie Richner.
In various media interviews, Rogers has refrained from indicating which Democrat he would prefer to challenge, criticizing both candidates as unsuitable for Michigan while expressing confidence in his ability to win against either. His campaign reiterated this stance when asked for comments regarding this story.
“We are well-positioned to defeat both of them,” said Rogers campaign spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet. “They are completely disconnected from working families, and Mike will triumph over whoever emerges battered and bruised from their chaotic primary.”
A representative from the Stevens campaign, Arik Wolk, stated regarding the June 15 call that Rogers “acknowledged what Republicans have claimed for weeks: They believe they can defeat Abdul El-Sayed, which is why they are running ads to support his campaign.”
The Stevens campaign and its supporters contend that Republicans have been attempting to elevate El-Sayed because they see him as a weaker contender for the general election. Last month, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which serves as the campaign arm for Senate Republicans, released a digital advertisement cautioning that El-Sayed is “too radical for Michigan.”
Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, indicated to Semafor last month that El-Sayed’s nomination would “be even more advantageous for us.”
Rogers, who served in the House from 2001 to 2015, ran for the Senate in 2024 but lost to Slotkin by approximately 19,000 votes, even though President Donald Trump won the state. Trump quickly endorsed Rogers in his current campaign.
“We aim to win Michigan by mobilizing those who have previously supported us,” Rogers informed his supporters during the call. “We have sufficient votes secured to win this race. We just need our supporters to turn out, and we will achieve victory.”
This contrasts sharply with the Democrats, who have been embroiled in a contentious and expensive primary battle for several months. Until recently, their primary also included a third significant contender, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who withdrew earlier this month.
Stevens and El-Sayed have had particular disagreements regarding the US relationship with Israel, with a super PAC associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee investing millions in support of Stevens. El-Sayed has shown notable fundraising strength, outpacing Stevens in the second quarter and revealing on Wednesday that he has raised over $3.3 million this month alone.
During last month’s call, Rogers and his campaign’s political director, Liam Putz, emphasized the advantages of running unopposed in the GOP primary while the Democrats continue their internal conflict.
“We are allowing them to clash while we build our team this summer,” Rogers stated.
Although Rogers briefly mentioned Stevens, he appeared more animated discussing El-Sayed. He referred to El-Sayed as a democratic socialist—a label El-Sayed has denied—and claimed that he “doesn’t support the free-enterprise system.”
“I honestly don’t think he has affection for America. He doesn’t show that he does. He associated with a person who suggested that Americans deserved 9/11,” Rogers stated, referring to El-Sayed’s campaigning alongside Hasan Piker, a far-left Twitch streamer who has expressed regret for his remarks about the September 11 attacks. Piker has faced criticism from both political parties for his comments regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stating that he believes Hamas is “1,000 times better than Israel.”
Richner, spokesperson for El-Sayed, countered Rogers’ accusation by highlighting a recent campaign event where El-Sayed led attendees in chanting “USA!” after a disruption by far-right provocateur Jake Lang.
“Does this look like a candidate that hates America?” Richner questioned.
