Mike Rogers continues to surround himself with racists as he runs one of the most bigoted Senate campaigns in recent memory. According to Detroit Metro Times, the latest member of Mike Rogers’ circle of trust with a history of racism is Marty Knollenberg, who attended a fundraising event with Rogers last month. In 2015, Knollenberg was asked about Michigan’s low-performing schools, and said, “We can’t fix that. We can’t make an African American white. It is what it is.”
“Mike Rogers’ pathological tendency to campaign with the most vile bigots he can find is truly something to behold,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Gus Nathanson. “Marty Knollenberg is just another example of Rogers welcoming racists, Islamophobes and homophobes into his ranks. At some point, we have to acknowledge that Rogers is a reflection of the company he keeps.”
Read more about Mike Rogers campaigning with Marty Knollenberg and other bigots:
- Rogers attended an Aug. 20 fundraiser at the Bloomfield Hills home of former Republican state Sen. Marty Knollenberg, according to a campaign invitation and photos posted to Facebook.
- The invitation listed Knollenberg and his wife, Lori, among the reception’s hosts.
- Knollenberg’s political résumé includes one of the more notorious racial comments made by a Michigan lawmaker in recent memory.
- During a 2015 Senate Education Committee hearing, state school reform officer Natasha Baker discussed Michigan’s lowest-performing schools, noting that many served students who were economically disadvantaged, Black, Hispanic, or otherwise nonwhite.
- Knollenberg responded saying, “We can’t fix that. We can’t make an African American white. It is what it is.”
- Rogers campaigning with bigots is far from an isolated incident.
Published: Sep 8, 2026