House Intelligence chief Rogers opts out of Senate run in Michigan

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) will not run for Senate, he announced Friday.

Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was thought by many to be the GOP’s best candidate to succeed retiring Sen. Carl Levin (D). 

Rogers opted to stay in the House, where his stature has grown as chairman of the Intelligence panel. 

{mosads}”After careful and thorough deliberation and long talks with my family, friends and supporters, I have determined that the best way for me to continue to have a direct impact for my constituents and the nation is to remain in the House of Representatives,” Rogers said in a statement to supporters. “For me, the significance and depth of the impact I can make on my constituent’s behalf far outweighs the perceived importance of any title I might hold.

In response to Rogers’s announcement, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said Michigan Republicans had suffered a “tremendous recruiting loss.”

“National Republicans inherited a friendly map this cycle with a number of conservative states, but they have methodically wasted every opportunity to expand the map into purple and blue states,” DSCC Deputy Executive Director Matt Canter said in a statement. 

Rogers said there’s a “deep bench” of Republicans who could win the seat. The Republican nominee is likely to face Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in the general election for the Senate seat.

“I have full confidence that Michigan’s Republican primary voters will select a candidate who can win and who will represent what has united the Michigan Republican party for generations: support for the free market capitalism that has created the strongest economy and biggest middle class on earth, a limited government, a strong American foreign policy, and a robust defense of our nation’s security,” Rogers said. 

“Once the Senate primary has concluded, I look forward to doing everything I can to elect a Republican U.S. senator from Michigan who will work to keep Michigan moving forward and help us get a handle on out-of-control Washington spending and debt.”