Huizenga passes on Michigan Senate run

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) said Wednesday he was passing on a Senate run in the Great Lakes State after Republicans had voiced concerns of a primary between the congressman and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.). 

“After careful consideration with Natalie and my family, as well as in consultation with President Trump, I have decided against a bid for U.S. Senate in Michigan,” Huizenga said in a statement. 

“I am proud of our effort and am grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement I received from Michiganders across our great state,” he continued. 

However, Huizenga was not definitive on what his next move would be, saying he looks forward to announcing his “future plans” later this year. 

If he had decided on a Senate bid, Huizenga would have faced off against Rogers, an establishment favorite, who came within less than a point of defeating Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in last year’s competitive Senate race. 

Rogers received the backing of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) following his 2026 campaign launch in April. Last week, Rogers’s campaign said he raised more than $1.5 million in the second quarter of 2025. 

Unlike Republicans, Michigan Democrats are facing a contentious primary battle between establishment favorite Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D), and former progressive gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the state’s Senate race as a toss up.