Michigan Senate race shaken by Farm Bureau’s endorsement of GOP candidate

The race for Michigan’s open Senate seat just got tighter, as Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., suffered a loss this week when Michigan Farm Bureau’s AgriPac endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers, her Republican opponent. It was the first time the group had endorsed a Republican Senate candidate since 2006.

In 2012 and 2018, the group endorsed Democratic candidate Debbie Stabenow.

The group is considered highly influential in Michigan, according to Fox News, because agriculture is one of the state’s top three industries. Agriculture contributes “more than $100 billion annually to the state’s economy,” according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and employs nearly 1 million people, or 22% of Michigan’s employment.

“I am honored and grateful to have earned the support of AgriPac and farmers across Michigan who feed our country and power Michigan’s economy,” Rogers said in a statement.

“Michigan farmers have been struggling under the current administration, rising input costs and burdensome government regulations, and now for the first time in American history we are importing more food than we export. As a Michigan State Senator, our farmers know that I will always have their back and will fight to lower costs, eliminate unnecessary regulations and pass the Farm Bill so that farmers can thrive and leave a lasting legacy for the next generation to succeed and feed the world,” he wrote.

According to Fox News Digital, Michigan GOP strategist Jason Roe said the support is “pretty damn significant.”

“Slotkin sits on the House Agriculture Committee, and her patron, Debbie Stabenow, is the chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. I imagine they’re both pretty pissed off about this decision,” he said.