Michigan Senate Candidate Accused of Being a 'Carpetbagger' as Campaign in Florida Sparks Renewed Questions About Residency.
Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, is once again facing criticism that he's more of a Floridian than a Michigander. His decision to resume campaign activities from his Cape Coral home has reignited concerns about his residency status.
Rogers' lengthy ties to Florida are well-documented. In November 2025, he spent over a week campaigning in the state, including a fundraiser in Naples and a series of media interviews recorded from inside his Cape Coral home. His response to these questions was met with laughter during one virtual interview when he joked that he would rather be "on the beach in Florida" as Michigan braced for a winter storm.
This has raised eyebrows among many who question whether Rogers truly considers himself a Michigander. The Democratic side of the race, led by Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and public health expert Abdul El-Sayed, highlights their own strong ties to the state.
The Republican side, however, is more evenly matched in terms of fundraising prowess, with Rogers raising about $3.4 million through October and having roughly $2.7 million cash on hand. A super PAC backing his campaign has received a significant donation from Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn, further fueling speculation about the extent of Rogers' personal wealth.
Rogers' long-standing ties to Florida were highlighted by one of his own statements. In November 2025, during an interview, he claimed that "my whole life is here [in Michigan]," despite being in Florida at the time. The discrepancy has left many questioning whether Rogers truly identifies as a Michigander.
The renewed focus on residency comes as Rogers seeks to consolidate the Republican base with a campaign infrastructure built around hard-right activists and clergy. However, this approach has also led to concerns about his own record in Congress, which includes opposing LGBTQ+ protections.
Critics like Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, have accused Rogers of being an "out-of-touch carpetbagger" who enriched himself at Michiganders' expense before returning to run for Senate. The renewed scrutiny has raised questions about Rogers' commitment to representing the people of Michigan rather than his own personal interests.
As the 2025 Senate election approaches, voters in Michigan will be weighing these issues against a crowded field of candidates vying for the seat. One thing is clear: the "carpetbagger" label has reemerged as a contentious issue in Rogers' campaign, with many questioning whether he truly represents the values and interests of his home state.
Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, is once again facing criticism that he's more of a Floridian than a Michigander. His decision to resume campaign activities from his Cape Coral home has reignited concerns about his residency status.
Rogers' lengthy ties to Florida are well-documented. In November 2025, he spent over a week campaigning in the state, including a fundraiser in Naples and a series of media interviews recorded from inside his Cape Coral home. His response to these questions was met with laughter during one virtual interview when he joked that he would rather be "on the beach in Florida" as Michigan braced for a winter storm.
This has raised eyebrows among many who question whether Rogers truly considers himself a Michigander. The Democratic side of the race, led by Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and public health expert Abdul El-Sayed, highlights their own strong ties to the state.
The Republican side, however, is more evenly matched in terms of fundraising prowess, with Rogers raising about $3.4 million through October and having roughly $2.7 million cash on hand. A super PAC backing his campaign has received a significant donation from Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn, further fueling speculation about the extent of Rogers' personal wealth.
Rogers' long-standing ties to Florida were highlighted by one of his own statements. In November 2025, during an interview, he claimed that "my whole life is here [in Michigan]," despite being in Florida at the time. The discrepancy has left many questioning whether Rogers truly identifies as a Michigander.
The renewed focus on residency comes as Rogers seeks to consolidate the Republican base with a campaign infrastructure built around hard-right activists and clergy. However, this approach has also led to concerns about his own record in Congress, which includes opposing LGBTQ+ protections.
Critics like Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, have accused Rogers of being an "out-of-touch carpetbagger" who enriched himself at Michiganders' expense before returning to run for Senate. The renewed scrutiny has raised questions about Rogers' commitment to representing the people of Michigan rather than his own personal interests.
As the 2025 Senate election approaches, voters in Michigan will be weighing these issues against a crowded field of candidates vying for the seat. One thing is clear: the "carpetbagger" label has reemerged as a contentious issue in Rogers' campaign, with many questioning whether he truly represents the values and interests of his home state.
think it's pretty rich that Rep Mike Rogers is getting roasted for having strong ties to Florida while simultaneously trying to claim Michiganders as his own 
like, can't you just pick one place to call home, bro? 
I mean, sure, it's understandable that he wants to connect with voters in a state where he already has a significant presence, but come on... the jokes about being more Floridian than Michigander are starting to feel like a rehearsed script 
. What really concerns me is that this whole residency debate might be distracting from the real issues at hand – like Rogers' record in Congress and his actual stance on LGBTQ+ protections 
. Anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out 
But, at the same time, his ties to Florida do raise questions about whether he's invested enough in Michigan.
. Can't we give him the benefit of the doubt and see how his policies play out? 
I mean, the fact that Tim Dunn is throwing money at his campaign is definitely concerning, though 
and i saw this weird guy doing a podcast in his backyard 
is it normal for ppl to do podcasts in their backyard tho? shouldnt they have a studio or something? 
does it mean hes gonna make all decisions from fl instead of mi? i just wanna know who's gonna represent me in senate lol 
i mean i get it if you wanna run for senate but dont pretend to be someone you're not ryan cooper from florida is like super sketchy too btw can we just talk about the fact that tim dunn donated 10 mil to his campaign like who is this dude and why do we care? 
rep mike rogers is literally the most obvious carpetbagger ever! like, come on dude, you're campaigning from your florida house during a michigan winter storm? that's just low. and don't even get me started on the fact that he said "my whole life is here" in michigan but was like 2 hours away in florida 
. i mean, what's next gonna be him saying he's from canada or somethin' lol. anyways, rep haley stevens and co are totally on point for highlighting his lack of commitment to michigan. Rogers is just trying to game the system and get rich off of michiganders' hard work. no way man! 
I'm telling ya, back in my day... we didn't have all these residency questions for Senate candidates! It's just weird how politics is all about who can connect with voters, but sometimes it feels like they're more worried about being seen as local than actually doing the job. I mean, Rep. Rogers has some legit ties to Michigan, don't get me wrong, but this whole "Florida first" thing is getting old fast 
. Can we just focus on what he'd do for Michigan instead of questioning his residency? Priorities, people! 
. Maybe this is an opportunity for them to shine a light on what really matters - not who's been in Florida sipping margaritas but what kind of leader can actually get things done for Michigan 
.
. I'm keeping an eye on this one...
... I mean, Rep. Rogers has lived in Florida for years, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's not a Michigander too 
.
It's time to put the focus back on the issues and not get caught up in petty residency drama 
. And let's not forget about the environment - we need someone who's actually going to tackle climate change head-on 
. I'm all for a good debate, but can't we just focus on the facts instead of playing politics with residency status? 
. On one hand, Rep. Mike Rogers has been living in Florida for a while now, but at the same time he's trying to run for Senate in Michigan where he claims his "whole life is here". It's like, does he really consider himself a Michigander or just wanna be part of the state? 
. But at the same time, when you're trying to represent a whole state and its people, shouldn't you have stronger ties to it?