Republicans are set to pour an additional $10.5 million to aid former Rep. Mike Rogers in his bid to defeat Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin for the open Michigan senate seat, Axios reported Tuesday.
The Senate Leadership Fund, linked to outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has targeted Michigan as a key state that can help the GOP flip the senate back to Republican control. Although some polls have shown Rogers down by as many as 8 percentage points to Slotkin, internal polling has indicated a much closer race at 48% to 48%, giving Republicans the confidence to provide Rogers with additional funds.
"Michiganders don't like that Elissa Slotkin has consistently voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' green energy agenda. These voters are looking for a change from the Democrat status quo," SLF President and CEO Steven Law told Axios.
On Tuesday, the Cook Political Report moved Montana's Senate race to "lean Republican," which coupled with a likely flip in West Virginia would give the Republicans the two seats needed to seize control of the upper chamber. Assuming Republicans don't lose any incumbent seats in November, a Rogers victory in Michigan would give the GOP some breathing room.
Kyle Kondik at the University of Virginia Center for Politics told The Detroit News that as a down-ballot candidate, Rogers will benefit greatly if former President Donald Trump does well in the state.
"If Rogers is going to win, he does need a lot of outside help," Kondik said. "Although the most outside help would come from Trump's performance in the presidential race. If Trump wins, it's easy to see Rogers winning too, given the decline of ticket-splitting."