“Democrats for Mike Rogers,” which is supporting the Republican nominee in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, will no longer officially call itself that in political ads.
That’s because the super PAC filed paperwork to change its name after a demand from the Federal Election Commission.
Citing federal rules, the FEC wrote on Sept. 8 that Democrats for Mike Rogers had to change its name if it wasn’t directly affiliated with the Republican candidate, which it is not.
Karen Whitsett, an outgoing Michigan state representative and the committee’s treasurer, told the FEC on Tuesday that it is complying with the agency’s request and that the PAC’s name is now “TFM,” later indicating that it stands for “Together for Michigan.”
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The organization first changed its name to “Together for Michigan” on Sept. 15 before switching to the acronym early last week.
“We trust that this resolves the matter,” wrote Whitsett, who announced her departure from the Democratic Party earlier this year.
Whitsett, who did not immediately respond to The Washington Sun’s request for comment, has repeatedly clashed with Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives.
The pro-Rogers PAC is already hitting the airwaves with its new name, spending more than $4.3 million since Oct. 6 to boost Rogers’ campaign, according to FEC records.
Having only been formed in August, the PAC has not yet disclosed its donors, although it’s slated to do so later this month.
Democrats for Mike Rogers’ name has been valuable for the Republican’s campaign, with officials affiliated with the group publicly attacking Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed over perceived shortcomings with Black and Jewish Michiganders.
“Democrat voters who feel their nominee doesn’t represent them in their values — all hope is not lost,” Rogers said at an August press conference with the super PAC. “I’m not asking you to be a Republican. I’m asking you for the opportunity to earn your trust.”
A recent Marist poll of registered voters found El-Sayed led Rogers by 7 percentage points. The Cook Political Report has graded the race a “toss up,” while Inside Elections rates it “tilt Democratic.”
In recent years, numerous other political committees have been tripped up by federal naming rules.
Among them: Trump Has Tiny Hands PAC, Let’s Fire TRUMP, Ready for Hillary PAC and Stop Pelosi PAC.
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