EXCLUSIVE – Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is under consideration as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, is weighing in on the Republican Senate primary in a key battleground state.
Scott on Wednesday endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a front-runner in the August Republican primary in the fight to succeed veteran Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat who is not seeking re-election. this year.
The seat is one of a few that Republicans aim to flip from blue to red in the fall elections as they try to regain the Senate majority they lost in the 2020 cycle.
“Mike Rogers’ commitment to service has always been about putting the American people first. When Mike and I served together, he was a leader who achieved results and fought to expand opportunities for working families and those pursuing their dreams. American dream,” Scott said in a statement. “I am proud to endorse him to be Michigan’s next U.S. senator because I know Mike will bring his servant leadership to the U.S. Senate.”
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Republican presidential candidate Former President Donald Trump looks at Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., during a Fox News Channel town hall Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Scott’s endorsement of Rogers, which was first shared with Fox News, is his first formal endorsement in a Senate race this election cycle, although he has helped other Republican candidates raise money.
Rogers, an Army veteran and former FBI special agent before serving in Congress, enjoys the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the campaign arm of the Senate Republican Party. And in March, Rogers won the endorsement of Trump, the party’s presumptive presidential nominee.
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“Senator Scott has been a tremendous champion of conservative values in the United States Senate and I am honored to receive his endorsement,” Rogers said in a statement. “Together in the Senate we will work with President Trump to help Michigan families, reduce the cost of gas and food, and secure the southern border.”
Rogers has also received endorsements in recent months from seven other Republican senators, as well as Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state and CIA director in the Trump administration. He has also received the endorsement of former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who endorsed Rogers after ending his own Republican Senate bid earlier this year.
Former President Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, listens as former Rep. Mike Rogers, Michigan Senate candidate, speaks at a campaign rally in Freeland, Mich., Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
As they work to win a Senate election in Michigan for the first time in three decades, Republicans hoped to avoid a potentially costly and combustible primary.
But Rogers doesn’t have the field to himself.
The primary race also includes wealthy businessman and investor Sandy Pensler, who is running for office for the second time and has been spending a lot of money to run ads targeting Rogers. Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Pensler.
Among the other candidates for the Republican nomination is former Rep. Justin Amash, who as an independent member of the House joined Democrats in voting to impeach then-President Trump in his first impeachment trial in 2019.
The state primary in Michigan will take place on August 6.
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Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, but remains a highly popular and influential figure in the party.
The senator, known for his fierce fundraising campaign during his 2022 Senate re-election campaign, has strong ties to many prominent figures in the Republican Party’s donor class. The money raised two years ago served as a down payment for his 2024 national campaign.
In addition to raising money for himself, Scott has also been very active in helping fellow Republicans running for office.
In the 2022 cycle, the senator raised nearly $1 million for other candidates and donated more than $1 million to narrow the election. And two outside groups aligned with Scott spent $13 million in key Senate and House races, while shifting $5 million to the main super PAC supporting Senate Republicans.
A super PAC allied with Scott announced earlier this month that it would spend $14 million to help Republicans boost support among black voters.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 election campaign, exclusive interviews and more in our Fox News Digital Election Center.
