Michigan Republican Candidate Caught Living in Florida

A Republican hoping to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate suffered a setback to his campaign this week after facing allegations that he lives in Florida.

Former Congressman Mike Rogers, who has made much of his local roots in a bid to win over voters, faced backlash online after the staff of Democrat rival Elissa Slotkin released information on X, formerly Twitter, apparently proving he is still registered to vote in the Sunshine State.

The Republican Party hopes to retake the Senate on November 5 from the Democrats, who currently hold a slim majority. But polls released last month suggest that Democrats are leading the races in several states, including Michigan. One Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey of 1,000 voters found that 41 percent said they supported Slotkin while 39 percent said they would vote for Rogers.

Rogers, a U.S. Army veteran and a former FBI agent, represented Michigan in the House from 2001 to 2015 and served as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee from 2011 to 2015. Previously, he served as a Michigan state representative and state senator. The 60-year-old was born in Livingstone County, Michigan, and has made much of his love for his home state.

"I'm proud to be born and raised right here in Michigan. And I will be proud to serve my home in the U.S. Senate," Rogers wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

But he was soon hit with disparaging comments from X users after Austin Cook, Slotkin's communications director, shared Rogers' post with the caption: "Fun fact: @MikeRogersForMI is literally registered to vote in Florida *right now*"

He attached a screenshot apparently showing that Rogers has been registered to vote in Cape Coral, Florida, since January 2022. His party is listed as the Republican Party of Florida, and his voter status was "active."

Rogers has not yet publicly commented on claims he is still registered to vote in Florida. Newsweek reached out to Rogers via email for comment on Tuesday.

In January, Michigan Advance said Rogers' campaign told reporters that he was staying at a home owned by his sister-in-law in Brighton, Michigan, pending renovations on a new property he had bought in White Lake Township. The outlet said Rogers owned a large, $1.7 million home in Cape Coral, Florida, which was reportedly his official residence until his decision to run for the U.S. Senate.

The allegations have left some voters disgruntled. Several people accused Rogers of being a "carpetbagger," a term for a candidate seeking election in an area where they have no local connections.

"Sounds like something someone from Florida would say when they are trying to run for Senate in Michigan," one X user said.

An X user posted, "Then why aren't you running in Florida? You live there, after all."

Another told him: "Nothing says 'proud Michigander' like someone who packed up, left, moved to Florida, and only came back to run for Senate!"