Mike Rogers

Republican Mike Rogers' campaign for Michigan's soon-to-be-open U.S. Senate seat is getting a big boost from an outside group: $45 million from the Senate Leadership Fund.

The fund, also known as SLF, is the only so-called super PAC dedicated to expanding the number of Republicans elected to the U.S. Senate and its commitment to Rogers − a former congressman from White Lake who is considered all-but-certain to be his party's nominee after the Aug. 4 primary − was announced Monday, April 6.

It also comes just a few weeks after another super PAC, Sentinel Action Fund, announced a $15 million commitment to electing Rogers in November. No Republican has won a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since Spencer Abraham won a single six-year term in 1994 but Rogers is putting together a formidably financed election effort while three Democrats − state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and former Wayne County and Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor − battle for their party's nomination with no clear frontrunner.

Senate Leadership Fund’s national spending plan

SLF's April 6 announcement was about more than Rogers' campaign, covering its largest-ever campaign advertisement commitment at $342 million spread over eight races nationwide.

The commitment to Rogers' campaign, however, is the largest in a race for a seat not currently occupied by a Republican. SLF is also expecting to spend $79 million in Ohio in support of Sen. Jon Husted's reelection campaign and $71 million in support of former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley's race to replace U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is stepping down.

SLF also expects to spend $42 million in support of Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in Maine and $15 million in support of U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, as well as $29 million in Iowa to elect U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson to replace U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who is stepping down. The group is also putting $44 million into a challenge of Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and $17 million in electing former U.S. Sen. John E Sununu in New Hampshire, where Democrat Jeanne Shaheen is stepping down.

How the Senate Leadership Fund plans to spend the money

How the funds in each race will be spent wasn't disclosed but Alex Latcham, SLF's executive director, told the New York Times that some $271 million of the total will be spent on TV, digital and streaming ads. The rest is expected to be spent on voter mail and get-out-the-vote efforts.

SLF will spend the money itself in independent expenditures and is prohibited from coordinating its efforts with the campaigns.

Senate Leadership Fund backs Rogers’ bid for open seat

“Senate Leadership Fund’s historic investment is a testament to the strength of Mike Rogers and our commitment to flipping Michigan red in November. Mike is a trusted leader who will fight for Michigan’s working families and auto industry, and we are confident he will be the next United States senator from Michigan,” Latcham said in a statement.

Rogers lost a close race to Democratic U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024. He is running this year to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters who is stepping down after two six-year terms.

How Democrats responded to the news

Democrats downplayed the development.

"Republicans know they're staring down defeat this November, so it's no surprise they're showing their hand this early," said Christyna Thompson, press secretary for Senate Majority PAC, a Super PAC committed to electing Democrats to the Senate.

"When your record is circling the drain, your whole agenda is linked to an unpopular president, and your best hope is an out-of-touch candidate like Rogers, you respond by trying to get ahead of curve," she continued. "But we've seen this play before: the GOP investing early in weak nominees just to burn millions in cash with nothing to show for it.”

Contact Todd Spangler: [email protected]. Follow him on X @tsspangler.

This story has been updated with new information.