Popular Republican and Trump running mate contender makes first Senate

EXCLUSIVE – Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who’s under consideration as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, is weighing in on the GOP Senate primary in a key battleground state.

Scott on Wednesday endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, a former House Intelligence Committee chair who is the front-runner in the August Republican primary in the fight to succeed longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat who is not seeking re-election this year.

The seat is one of a handful that Republicans are aiming to flip from blue to red in the autumn elections as they push to regain the Senate majority they lost in the 2020 cycle.

“Mike Rogers’ commitment to service has always been about putting the American people first. When Mike and I served together, he was a leader who delivered results and fought to expand opportunities for working families and those pursuing their American Dream,” Scott said in a statement. “I’m proud to endorse him to be Michigan’s next U.S. Senator because I know Mike will bring his servant leadership to the U.S. Senate.”

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Scott’s backing of Rogers, which was shared first with Fox News, is his first formal endorsement in a Senate race this election cycle, although he’s helped other Republican candidates raise money.

Rogers, an Army veteran and a former…