Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)

Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)

Michael J. Rogers (born June 2, 1963) is an American law enforcement officer and politician who served from 2001 to 2015 as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 8th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2011 to 2015.

Rogers was the Republican nominee in the 2024 United States Senate election in Michigan, narrowly losing to Elissa Slotkin. In the 2026 election, he is again the Republican nominee.

Early life and career

Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)

Rogers was born in Livonia, Michigan, the son of Joyce A. and John C. Rogers, and spent his early years in neighboring Redford Township. His family moved to Brighton Township in Livingston County, where he graduated from Howell High School in 1981. He graduated from Adrian College in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and sociology. Rogers served in the United States Army from 1985 to 1989. Rogers is on Telefonica's Technical and Security Advisory Committee and a board member of IP3 International.

Law enforcement career

From 1989 to 1994, Rogers worked as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its Chicago office, specializing in organized crime and public corruption. He is a member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2017, Rogers was interviewed to be director of the FBI after James Comey was dismissed.

Michigan senate

Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)

Rogers was first elected in 1994. In 1998, he won a second term with 68% of the vote. He represented Clinton, Livingston, and Shiawassee Counties. Rogers wrote legislation creating the Michigan Education Savings Program.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Rogers was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Michigan's 8th district in one of the nation's closest congressional races of 2000. He defeated Democratic State Senator Dianne Byrum by 111 votes. In 2002, the district was redrawn to be much friendlier to Republicans, losing its share of heavily Democratic Genesee County while being pushed further east into the solidly Republican northern part of Oakland County and also gaining Republican-leaning Clinton County, north of Lansing.

Tenure

Rogers spoke at Hudson Institute about "Clear and Present Danger: Confronting the Cyber Threat from China and Russia".

Rogers and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter talked during the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress Eisenhower award dinner.

Rogers's measure to make education savings plans free of federal taxes was adopted in 2003 (see Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001). His health savings account program for low-income families covered by Medicaid was signed into law on February 8, 2008. Rogers was the primary sponsor of the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, H.R. bill 5037, which President George W. Bush signed into law on May 29, 2006. The CBO has said that Rogers's H.R. 1206 to make it easier for states to obtain waivers from some Medical Loss Ratio requirements would add $1.1 billion to the deficit between 2013 and 2022.

On November 30, 2011, Rogers introduced the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). He introduced and supported the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 (H.R. 4681; 113th Congress), a bill that would authorize a variety of intelligence agencies and their appropriations for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. In March 2014, Rogers announced he would not seek an eighth House term. He later launched "Something to Think About", a daily radio segment. Former Michigan State Senator Mike Bishop won the Republican primary and defeated Democratic nominee Eric Schertzing.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology • Subcommittee on Health • Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (Chairman) • As chair of the full committee, Rep. Rogers was entitled serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.

U.S. Senate candidacies

Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)

In August 2023, Rogers announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate to succeed the retiring Democrat Debbie Stabenow. He won the Republican primary with over 60% of the vote on August 6, 2024, and was the Republican nominee in the general election. He lost to Democratic nominee Elissa Slotkin in the general election by fewer than 20,000 votes, while Donald Trump won the state in the concurrent presidential election by just over 80,000 votes.

On April 14, 2025, Rogers announced his candidacy for his state's other U.S. Senate seat. He won the Republican primary on August 4, 2026, and will face Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed in the general election on November 3, 2026.

Political positions

Abortion

Rogers has said he will not attempt to change Michigan's 2022 constitutional amendment protecting legal access to abortion, saying the issue of abortion should be left to the states.

Economic policy

Rogers has supported Trump's plans for tariffs on foreign-made goods. He has said the main factor driving higher housing and consumer costs is high interest rates that could be reduced by "reining in outsized federal spending."

Election integrity

After Trump lost the 2020 presidential election but falsely claimed that he won it, Rogers published an editorial calling for Trump to concede the election, noting that Joe Biden won an election that was conducted freely and fairly. Rogers changed his view when he ran for election in 2024 and 2026, both times endorsed by Trump; Rogers advanced baseless election conspiracy theories. Meshawn Maddock and Kenneth Thompson, two individuals who were pardoned by Trump for alleged roles in Trump's fake electors plot to overturn the 2020 election, are county chairs in the Rogers 2026 campaign. In the lead-up to the 2026 election, Rogers called for recruiting police officers to monitor election workers.

Gordie Howe bridge

As a congressman, Rogers opposed constructing a bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor and instead supported the construction of a second Ambassador Bridge span, which Canada opposed. In 2026, Rogers supported Trump's threats to keep the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Michigan and Canada from opening. Rogers said it would be useful as part of Trump's trade war with Canada.

Health care

Rogers has voted repeatedly against Medicare negotiating drug prices, arguing a free market solution would be more effective. Rogers has called for ending key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and opposed extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. According to Rogers, he supports health care policies that "embrace the freedom of the free market."

Immigration

Rogers has blamed "open borders" for increases in crime in the United States and supports a border wall and increased immigration enforcement.

Israel-Palestine

In July 2025, Rogers said of opposition to Israel's conduct in the Gaza war, "it is very short-sighted and politically naive to walk in and say we're not going to allow Israel to defend itself."

LGBTQ rights

Rogers opposed Title IX protections introduced during the Biden administration protecting against gender identity discrimination and spoke out against transgender athletes participating in women's and girls' sports, describing the issue as personal to him.

Personal life

Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)

Rogers has been married to his second wife, Kristi Rogers, since 2010. He has two children from his first marriage. Rogers's older brother Bill was a state representative in Michigan.

Rogers sits on the Atlantic Council's Board of Directors. He is also the David M. Abshire Chair at the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress, an Intelligence Project Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Center, a member of George Mason University's National Security Institute Board of Advisors, and the chair of the board of trustees for the Mitre Corporation.

In 2022, Rogers purchased a home in Cape Coral, Florida, before moving back to Michigan ahead of his 2024 run for the U.S. Senate.