Former House Intel Chairman Mike Rogers entered the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan being vacated by retiring Democrat Senator Debbie Stabenow. He is coming out of political retirement to do so.

Rogers is the first prominent Republican in the race but he is likely to face a crowded GOP primary. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines is reported to have recruited Rogers and he welcomed him to the race.

“Mike Rogers has devoted his life to serving the people of Michigan and holding communist China accountable. Mike is the type of candidate who can perform well with suburban Michiganders and be a strong part of the eventual ticket in Michigan. I am pleased to see Mike stepping up to run for the U.S. Senate,” the Montana Republican said in a statement.

Rogers served seven terms in the House of Representatives. He was first elected to Congress in 2000, interestingly enough, when he won the seat vacated by Stabenow when she decided to run for the Senate. He hopes to succeed her once again.

I’m running for the United States Senate to get America back on track.

Join the fight. pic.twitter.com/3RrGooJBJx

— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) September 6, 2023

Rogers won his first race by only 111 votes in a competitive district. Then redistricting worked in his favor. He won the races after his first term relatively easily. Rogers became Intelligence chairman in 2011. He retired from the House in 2015. He is considered a moderate Republican. No Republican has won a Senate seat in Michigan since 1994. Michigan Republicans have taken a turn further right in recent months as the party has suffered devastating state-level losses.

Several other Michigan Republicans are considering a run, too.

Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), who lost a House primary in 2022 after voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump, opened an exploratory committee for a Senate run last week. Businessman Sandy Pensler, who lost a 2018 Senate primary to John James, and John Tuttle, the vice chair of the New York Stock Exchange, are also considering runs. Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig has said he is close to a decision on whether to enter the race and will make an announcement in the coming weeks.

Things may get hectic in a crowded field. The Michigan Senate seat can help flip the Senate to Republican control. Republicans only need one or two seats for that to happen, depending on who wins the presidency. Democrats hope to retain the seat and Rep. Elissa Slotkin appears to be the frontrunner on the Democratic side. However, actor Hill Harper (The Good Doctor) is also among the announced Democratic candidates..

Former GOP Rep. Peter Meijer has formed an exploratory committee. He told the Detroit Free Press last week, “It will take someone who can’t be bought and is willing to be bold, and I am considering running for Senate to do my part to get us out of this mess.”

Democrats are looking forward to a messy Republican primary.

Sarah Guggenheimer, spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, said in a statement that, “while Rogers may be the first to enter the race, he’s unlikely to be the last, turning this race into yet another messy GOP primary.”

“Time to get out the popcorn,” Guggenheimer added.

It’s probably a longshot for a Republican victory but it would be a nice surprise. It’s critical that Republicans take back the Senate and stop the madness, especially if Democrats retain the White House.