Michigan GOP chair voices concern Democrats 'will steal some votes'

Michigan Republican Party Chairman Pete Hoekstra voiced concerns this week that Democrats in Michigan “will steal some votes” if the Senate race between former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) gets “close,” according to a copy of the recording obtained by The Hill. 

Hoekstra, who was recognized earlier this year as the Michigan GOP chairman, made the comments while speaking at a Monday fundraiser in Farmington Hills, Mich. He repeatedly praised Rogers and vowed that the state party would do everything to help him win.

"We haven't elected a Republican senator since 1994, all right — think about it, 30 years," Hoekstra said at the event, according to the recording. "And the nice thing is, if the race is close, this is the guy that knows how to win close races. The first race he won for the U.S. House, I think it was the closest race in the country that year,” he said, referencing Rogers’s House race in 2000, which he won by a razor-thin margin. 

“We don't recommend that this cycle, because if it gets that close, we are afraid that they will steal some votes to make sure that he doesn't win,” Hoekstra said. “But hey, congratulations and thanks for all the work that you're doing. It's awesome." 

Hoekstra, a former House member himself, was at the fundraiser alongside Rogers and state House Minority Leader Matt Hall. The entry for the reception went as high as $1,000, according to an invitation reviewed by The Hill. 

The recording was first reported by The Detroit News.

Former President Trump made claims, without proof, that the 2020 election in Michigan was “rigged.” He reportedly pushed Michigan canvassers not to certify the results of the 2020 election during a phone call. President Biden won the state by less than 160,000 votes in 2020. 

Michigan Democrats criticized Hoekstra, saying that he was undermining American democracy with his comments. 

“Pete Hoekstra and Michigan Republicans are continuing to spread dangerous election conspiracy theories and undermine our democracy. It’s clear Republican leaders don’t believe Mike Rogers is capable of winning this race on his own, and instead they want to push lies at the expense of Michigan and our democracy,” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes said in a statement.

Slotkin, who is currently running in one of the most hotly contested races, criticized Hoekstra’s remarks as “dangerous” and argued that they should be condemned by all sides. 

“Absentee ballots just became available this week, but the Chairman of the MIGOP is already spreading conspiracy theories about the integrity of our elections,” Slotkin said in a Thursday post on X. “This kind of language is exactly what led to an attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. It’s dishonest and dangerous, and it should be condemned by *everyone* — regardless of your political party.” 

In a late August survey, Slotkin had a 6-point advantage, 47 percent to 41 percent, over Rogers. Both candidates are vying to replace the retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

The Hill has reached out to the Michigan Republican Party and Rogers’s campaign for comment.