Republican Mike Rogers just landed a major hometown endorsement in one of the most closely watched Senate races in America.

The Detroit News backed Rogers over far-left Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, calling the former congressman the clear choice for voters.

The endorsement did not come from a MAGA outlet or a conservative campaign group. It came from one of Michigan’s largest newspapers after its editorial board compared the candidates’ experience, judgment and readiness for the job.

For El-Sayed, the verdict was brutal. The paper questioned whether voters can know what he truly believes after years of deleted posts and vanished videos, while concluding that Rogers already has the background to become an effective senator.

The newspaper’s decision follows another cross-party boost Rogers highlighted this week, this time from former Sen. Joe Manchin:

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The Detroit News described Rogers as the prototype of a United States senator and said he is mature, trustworthy and prepared for the office. The board pointed to his 14 years in the U.S. House, including four years leading the House Intelligence Committee.

Rogers also served as an Army officer and an FBI special agent assigned to organized-crime cases before entering elected office. After leaving Congress in 2015, he worked in private industry with a focus on cybersecurity.

The editorial argued that this combination of military, law-enforcement, legislative and national-security experience would allow Rogers to become influential quickly in the Senate. It praised his temperament and clear thinking as assets in a chamber where Republicans will need dependable votes and capable negotiators.

The board reached a much harsher conclusion about El-Sayed. Although the Democrat holds medical and public-health degrees and previously led health departments in Detroit and Wayne County, the paper said he has never held a political or policymaking position comparable to the office he is seeking.

It also raised serious questions about El-Sayed’s effort to scrub portions of his public record. The editorial cited deleted social-media posts and roughly 100 removed YouTube videos, saying the cleanup has made it difficult for Michigan voters to determine where he would stand once elected.

Rogers has been pressing El-Sayed on his alliances and campaign support as the race enters its final stretch:

Just the News reported that the endorsement leaned heavily on Rogers’s record in Congress, the Army and the FBI. Its account also emphasized the experience gap identified by the editorial board between Rogers and El-Sayed.

The newspaper did not give President Trump an easy ride. Its editorial acknowledged concern over Trump’s endorsement of Rogers and included criticism of the president’s policies, even while telling readers to choose the Republican.

That caveat makes the final decision even more revealing. The board was willing to air its disagreement with President Trump, yet it still found Rogers substantially more qualified than the Democrat running against him.

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Rogers and El-Sayed are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. Control of the Senate could turn on a handful of battleground races, and Michigan is one of the biggest prizes on the map.

The contest has already drawn national attention and tens of millions of dollars in outside spending. With the race tight, an endorsement from a major Michigan newspaper gives Rogers another argument to independent and persuadable voters looking closely at competence and judgment.

El-Sayed’s alliance with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker has also followed him into the general election. Fox News Politics captured the Democrat struggling to say whether he would campaign with Piker again:

Rogers for Senate welcomed the endorsement and said the campaign will continue focusing on Michigan’s schools, housing costs and manufacturing jobs. Communications director Alyssa Brouillet said voters deserve solutions instead of slogans and argued that Rogers is prepared to deliver them.

The campaign also highlighted the editorial’s criticism of El-Sayed’s political record and associations. The paper pointed to his support from Sen. Bernie Sanders, his place in the Democratic Party’s far-left wing, his position on Israel and his decision to campaign with Piker.

Rogers has assembled support from President Trump, Republican senators, Michigan lawmakers, law-enforcement officials and business groups. Manchin’s public backing gave him an unusual vote of confidence from a former Democrat who later registered as an independent.

The Detroit News endorsement adds institutional weight inside the state. The paper has often backed Republicans in major races, but its board withheld a presidential endorsement in both 2020 and 2024.

El-Sayed will have national Democrats behind him, including a planned campaign appearance with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Rogers now has a valuable answer: when one of Michigan’s best-known editorial boards measured the two nominees side by side, it chose the Republican.

The contrast could hardly be clearer. Rogers enters the final weeks with a national-security résumé, President Trump’s endorsement and a prominent Michigan newspaper declaring him ready for the Senate.

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El-Sayed enters those same weeks trying to explain a scrubbed online history, controversial alliances and a thin policymaking record.

Michigan voters will make the final decision in November. The Detroit News has already made its call.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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