Slotkin suffers defeat in Michigan as Farm Bureau abandons Democrats to endorse GOP candidate

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, suffered a blow in her Michigan Senate race this week when Michigan Farm Bureau AgriPac endorsed her Republican opponent, former congressman Mike Rogers, potentially changing an already close race.

In its latest endorsement, the industry group revealed its support for Rogers, a departure from AgriPac’s recent history of endorsing a Democratic candidate for the Senate seat. The group has not endorsed a Republican candidate for the Senate seat since 2006, having supported outgoing Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., in her re-election campaigns in 2012 and 2018.

“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.

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The group has a tangible impact in Michigan, considering that agriculture is one of the state’s top three industries, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Agriculture in the state contributes “more than $100 billion annually to the state’s economy,” according to the department. It also employs nearly 1 million people, or 22% of Michigan’s employment.

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Michigan Republican strategist Jason Roe told Fox News Digital 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.

Stabenow endorsed Slotkin and urged the Farm Bureau to also support the congresswoman as her successor.

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Stabenow told Fox News Digital that “it was very disappointing.”

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., dismissed the group’s decision, telling reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Tuesday: “The Farm Bureau always supports — always supports Republicans. The only exception was Debbie Stabenow because she’s the chairwoman (of the Senate Agriculture, Food and Forestry Committee).”

“She’s the only one,” he said. “Other than that, they’re basically an extension of the Republican Party.”

Rogers dismissed Peters’ claims, pointing out that the organization has endorsed 14 Democrats statewide this election cycle alone, including in the House of Representatives.

Slotkin’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment prior to publication.

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According to Rogers, “I think their motion to endorse us sends a very clear message, not only to the (farm) community, but to the rest of the business community in Michigan.”

As for Peters’ claim comparing the group to the Republican Party, Rogers told Fox News Digital, “You just insulted the second-largest industry in the state. They have a very deliberate process, and that tells me he hasn’t been to too many farms lately.”

Roe said such a remark could even harm Peters if he runs for re-election in 2026.

The race between Slotkin and Rogers is tightening rapidly as the election approaches. New polls show the Republican within reach of Slotkin, though she still has an advantage. The latest Marist poll showed the Democrat beating Rogers by six percentage points among registered voters, 51% to 45%.

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The stakes have risen in the race, surprising some with its competitiveness. It’s one of two Senate races that she has no chance of winning, according to the Cook Political Report, a top political analyst, along with the Ohio matchup. It was previously thought to be “a Democratic swing” before it was pushed back over the summer.

Even though Slotkin is currently leading in the polls, Rogers is confident this particular endorsement will make a difference.

“It makes people pay attention,” he said.

He noted the plethora of negative advertising against him, but said, “I’ll tell you one thing about farmers … they know exactly where the bear is doing his business in the woods; that’s an old saying my dad used to say.”

The former representative said farmers “don’t care about ads. They don’t care about disinformation.”

Rogers said the agriculture community is more concerned about the candidates, who have met with them and their county boards to discuss agriculture solutions.

He added that support for AgriPac is not only a key victory for farmers, but also for independent voters who were among the few undecided.

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Source of original article: ‘Quite significant’: Slotkin suffers blow in Michigan as farm bureau abandons Democrats to endorse GOP candidate