AXIOS: Mike Rogers signals MAGA ties as he nears another Senate run in Michigan
Former Rep. Mike Rogers is expected to announce soon that he's entering the Michigan Senate race next year, and already has tapped one of President Trump's 2024 campaign leaders as a senior adviser.
Why it matters: Rogers' hire of Chris LaCivita is a signal that Rogers is aggressively aligning himself with Trump's MAGA movement for 2026.
Trump hasn't yet endorsed Rogers, but he backed him in Michigan's 2024 GOP Senate primary. After winning the nomination, Rogers lost in the general election to Democrat Elissa Slotkin.
Zoom in: Trump stopped just short of endorsing Rogers during a dinner with Senate Republicans at Mar-a-Lago last month.
"He might be the one," Trump said of Rogers. "We're talking to Michael and some of the others. He may be the one to run again."
LaCivita was Trump's co-campaign manager and has close relationships with White House officials.
Trump has a $500 million political operation he can tap to support candidates of his choosing — and that has positioned him to be a force in U.S. politics long after he's president.
Elon Musk, the world's richest person and the face of the budget-cutting DOGE, gave more than $250 million to Trump's re-election effort and has told the president he plans to donate another $100 million to Trump's operation.
Rogers is likely to announce his second bid for a Senate seat within a few weeks, a person familiar with his plans told Axios.
The big picture: Michigan Senate's race is expected to be among the most competitive in the country. Republicans see it as one of their best opportunities to expand their 53-47 majority. Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring from the seat he has held since 2015.Other potential Republican candidates include U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga and conservative commentator Tudor Dixon. On the Democratic side, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is considering a run.
