Associated Press sources said former Republican congressman Mike Rogers is expected to run for the US Senate in Michigan.

DETROIT (AP) — Former US Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican who served in the US House of Representatives for seven terms and chaired its Intelligence Committee, is expected to announce his candidacy soon for an open US Senate seat from Michigan, according to three people familiar with the matter. on command. Theme.

Rogers will become the first prominent Republican in the state to announce his campaign after more than eight months of a long run Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow has announced that she is retiring next year after her fourth term. The people familiar with the matter spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement expected in the coming days.

His announcement could instantly make the race one of the most competitive in the country in 2024, when Republicans will look to take control of the House from Democrats, who hold a narrow 51-49 majority.

The show could also be a boost for Michigan Republicans. The party has been in turmoil in recent years and is struggling to win elections at the state level. Democrats won the races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state in midterm elections last year and took control of both state legislatures.

US Democratic Representative Elisa Slotkin Announced in February She is seeking a seat in the Senate, has garnered a number of high-profile endorsements and managed to raise nearly $6 million in the first four months of her campaign. Other Democrats also joined the race. Including actor Hill Harper.

Rogers, who made a name for himself during his time in Congress as a moderate Republican, hopes his more than two decades in Michigan politics will help him become the first Republican to win the battleground state’s Senate race since 1994.

A former Marine and FBI agent, Rogers served eight years in the Michigan State Senate before representing the Central Michigan district in Congress from 2001 to 2015. It was endorsed by the FBI Agents Association in 2017 To become the next FBI director before President Donald Trump chose Christopher Wray.

Rogers, 60, initially denied rumors he intended to run for the Senate after Stabenow’s announcement and indicated he planned to run for president. His plans have changed over the past few months as the Republican field in the White House has become increasingly crowded.

Defending the Michigan seat could be crucial for Democrats in their efforts to preserve the Senate, where the party faces off Tough headwind They are defending seats in Republican-leaning states from West Virginia to Montana and Ohio.

Republicans have won just one of Michigan’s last 15 Senate races, but Democrats’ margin of victory has narrowed every election since Democratic Senator Carl Levin won re-election in 2008 by 29 percentage points. Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won re-election over GOP challenger John James by less than two percentage points in 2020, the closest race in more than two decades.

Several other Michigan Republican candidates have announced campaigns for the seat, including State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder.

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Burnett reported from Chicago.