Michigan’s Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has a history of accepting significant contributions from the oil and gas sector, reflecting a pattern seen during his tenure in the House of Representatives.
Serving from 2001 until his retirement to Florida in 2015, Rogers frequently aligned with oil and gas interests, occasionally to the detriment of his constituents’ interests.
According to OpenSecrets, an organization monitoring political donations, Rogers accrued a total of $693,234 from the oil and gas industry throughout his congressional career. His current campaign, along with an unsuccessful 2024 Senate bid, saw even more donations.
In 2005, Rogers backed the Energy Policy Act amid rising gas prices during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Although the White House claimed the act would lower gas prices and achieve industry goals like tax reductions for oil infrastructure and Arctic Refuge drilling, critics, including the nonpartisan Cato Institute, expressed concerns that it mostly subsidized producers without lowering costs. A 2006 report by the Heritage Foundation suggested the act may have worsened fuel prices.
Rogers opposed the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act in 2007 and 2008, a bipartisan initiative to restrict excessive pricing by oil and gas companies during crises. The bill failed to become law.
Given that global factors influence gas prices, U.S. companies can raise prices amidst international disruptions, boosting profits while consumers face hardships.
Rogers also voted against the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, designed to promote renewable energy and fuel-efficient vehicles. The American Petroleum Institute, a significant trade body and Rogers benefactor, opposed the legislation.
In 2008, Rogers rejected two proposals aimed at reducing gas costs: the Consumer Energy Supply Act, to increase fuel supply by opening reserves, and the Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act, targeting price manipulation by energy firms.
These legislative decisions occurred prior to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which expanded financial influence in federal elections.
In recent years, from 2024 to 2025, a super PAC supporting Rogers received $10 million from Timothy Dunn, CEO of CrownQuest Operating. Dunn additionally contributed $6,600 to Rogers’ 2024 bid.
During the same timeframe, Chevron Corporation and its PAC contributed $200,000 to Rogers’ super PAC and $15,000 directly to his campaign. His 2024 campaign also collected funds from ConocoPhillips and Marathon Petroleum.
Rogers has shown support for the ongoing conflict in Iran, which has further impacted fuel prices.
His Democratic challenger, Abdul El-Sayed, criticized Rogers’ donor relationships at a press conference on Aug. 5. El-Sayed remarked, “Is he MAGA? Is he neocon? Nah, man. He’s just a corporate sellout.”
