GOP businessman Sandy Pensler drops out of U.S. Senate race, endorses Mike Rogers
Sandy Pensler, a Republican businessman from Michigan, announced on Saturday that he was withdrawing from the race for U.S. Senate and would endorse his primary opponent Mike Rogers, a former U.S. Rep.
Rogers is now one step closer to winning the GOP Senate nomination this fall in a race that’s expected be highly competitive.
Pensler, who is 67 and lives in Grosse Pointe Park, announced that he would be supporting Rogers during the rally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, held Saturday night in Grand Rapids. Pensler was making his second run for the U.S. Senate. He lost the 2018 GOP primaries to John James, R, Shelby Township, who is now a member of Congress.
“My campaign has always been about making America better. Pensler stated that the best way to achieve this is by implementing President Trump’s policy.
To do that, control of the Senate is needed. This is not possible if there’s a divisive primary campaign. Tonight, I am doing the right thing by ending my Senate campaign. It’s right. Mike Rogers was endorsed by President Trump. “I am here tonight.”
Pensler continued, “Mike is going to be a great senator.”
Pensler announced that he was withdrawing from the race when Trump invited him up to the stage with Rogers during his rally. Trump noted Pensler’s desire to “do some very important things tonight.”
Trump said Pensler’s endorsement of Roger on stage was “beautiful” to watch.
Trump stated that “we’re unifying our party.”
Pensler’s announcement was interrupted by a few shouts of “Sherry”, referring to the grassroots GOP Senate candidate Sherry Donnell.
Pensler’s withdrawal from the race has left three candidates in the GOP primaries: former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, of Cascade Township who’s previously spoken out against Trump, and O’Donnell a Stevensville doctor.
Jason Cabel Roe is a Republican strategist who has not been involved in the Senate race. He said: “I do not think that it changes the trajectory of this race significantly.”
Pensler “had already largely suspended” his campaign. Amash doesn’t appear to be running any campaign. It will save Rogers money,” Roe said.
Trump endorsed Rogers, a Brighton resident, for Michigan’s vacant U.S. Senate Seat in March. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, has generally unified around Rogers. Rogers, for example, was given an opportunity to speak at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.
Rogers was a former FBI Agent, a seven-term Congressman and the former Chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence committee.
Pensler has poured in at least $5,000,000 of his own cash into the primary campaign, and he’s run TV ads that have attacked Rogers’ past record as a Representative.
Pensler has criticized Rogers in two commercials. They were about the investigation of the Benghazi terror attacks that occurred in 2012. His last ad, criticizing Rogers, stopped running around Fourth of July.
Pensler said that his campaign was the only one to have the resources necessary to win, and Rogers’ previous work with companies that had partnered with Chinese companies was a major point of contention. Pensler claimed that he is the only candidate to have supported Trump throughout his campaign, a jab at Rogers and Amash’s criticisms of Trump in the past.
Sam Chan, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Democratic Party, said that Mike Rogers was an “unprincipled politician” who used his political influence in a selfish manner to benefit himself.
Rogers’ only interest in this race is himself. Michiganders cannot trust him to be in the Senate.
Pensler is a joint owner of the Korex Companies. The website claims that it is the largest manufacturer in North America for automatic powder dishwasher detergent. Pensler is also the founder of Pensler Capital Corp. a private investment company he owns jointly.
This year, the Senate seat is vacant after U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Lansing decided not to run for re-election.
Hill Harper, a businessman and actor from Detroit and Elissa slotkin, a U.S. Representative of Holly are the Democratic candidates for nomination.
Since 30 years, a Republican has not won the U.S. Senate election in Michigan.