Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers suggested recruiting off-duty or retired police officers to serve as poll watchers in Detroit, according to an audio recording obtained by The Detroit News.

Rogers, a former seven-term congressman from White Lake Township who narrowly lost Michigan's other Senate seat to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in 2024, made the comments during a speech to the Kalamazoo County Republican Party on April 17. He referenced his collaboration with the Republican National Committee on voter integrity efforts, stating he did not want a repeat of his 2024 experience, where he claimed to go to bed a winner at 2 a.m. and wake up a loser at 4 a.m.

"You know what, let’s put police officers, retired or off-duty police officers, as our poll watchers in Detroit," Rogers said. "Because, go ahead: Try to intimidate them. Please." He added that while they could not wear uniforms, flashing a badge on the belt would suffice.

Rogers has previously alleged irregularities in Detroit cost him the 2024 race, including unsubstantiated claims of a "van with ballots." His spokeswoman, Alyssa Brouillet, responded that Rogers seeks volunteers "of integrity," such as teachers and retired law enforcement, to ensure fair elections.

Democrats condemned the proposal as an attempt to intimidate voters of color in the heavily Democratic city. Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum called the comments "concerning" and said local clerks like Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey would not tolerate voter intimidation. "If Mike Rogers does not want to lose because of the legitimate votes of qualified, registered voters in the City of Detroit, I would recommend spending less time trying to negate their votes," Byrum said.

The Michigan Democratic Party described it as reviving a historical GOP strategy to scare minority voters. The comments echo former President Donald Trump's 2020 efforts to deploy law enforcement to polls and a 1980s Republican National Committee consent decree, which prohibited posting off-duty police in minority neighborhoods until it expired in 2018.

Federal law bars voter intimidation and armed officials at polling places. Michigan allows poll watchers from political parties and candidates to observe proceedings, but prohibits interference or uniforms indicating official capacity.

Detroit has faced scrutiny in past elections, including 2020 incidents where Republican challengers were barred from a ballot-counting center amid tensions. Rogers leads recent polls as the Republican frontrunner for the 2026 Senate race to replace retiring Democrat Gary Peters, in a contest expected to be competitive.

The remarks, reported on May 2, come as both parties gear up for primaries in August ahead of the November general election.