Ahead of Monday's second debate between candidates running for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, Democrats continued to raise concerns over reporting that Republican candidate Mike Rogers may not live at the address where he’s registered to vote.
The Detroit Free Press reports Rogers’ voting address is a home he’s building in White Lake Township that hasn’t yet been approved for occupancy.
During a press conference Monday morning, state Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) accused Rogers of not caring about Michiganders.
“For a year and a half, the entire time he’s been running for Senate, Rogers has lied about where he lives,” Polehanki said.
The Rogers campaign said Rogers and his wife are rebuilding the home and move-in has been delayed by a variety of setbacks.
The Free Press story noted Rogers, a former mid-Michigan Congressman, had lived and was a registered voter in Florida prior to this year.
According to the reports, Rogers had used his brother’s place in Genoa Township as a voting address before switching it to the new location.
State Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) said Rogers is being hypocritical for potentially voting with an address he didn’t live at.
“Somebody who has cheerleaded highlighting false claims of fraud and false claims of voting issues, being the kind of person that’s causing and creating these voting issues. To me, that’s a problem,” Moss said.
But the Rogers campaign said this is a distraction taking away from substantive issues.
A statement from campaign spokesperson Chris Gustafson blamed various setbacks for why Rogers’ address has been tentative.
“Mike and Kristi are rebuilding their home in Oakland County and are eager to move in following countless delays by DTE and the township,” the statement read, before taking aim at Rogers’ Democratic opponent, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin.
Democrats have long tried to paint Rogers as a carpetbagger who returned from his post-Congress consulting career only to run for Michigan office.
But Gustafson notes Slotkin, has also lived outside of Michigan much of her adult life.
Slotkin worked for the CIA in Washington, D.C., before returning to her family farm in Holly when she ran for Congress.
“I know this is a novel concept for DC-homeowner Slotkin as she’s never bought or built a home in Michigan, doesn’t live in her Congressional district, and only started voting here once she ran for Congress," Gustafson's statement said.
"It’s quite telling that Slotkin is more focused on Mike and Kristi’s home rather than the fact Michiganders cannot afford their own homes, groceries, or gas, thanks to her 100% support for Biden-Harris,” the statement continued in reference to Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Slotkin briefly switched her address to Lansing when running for re-election in her current Lansing-centric district. But she moved back to Holly after announcing her Senate run.
