Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of four stories profiling the new state and area leaders.
Mike Rogers has a sure-fire plan for living in Washington - don’t breathe too much.
“There’s something funny about the air,” said Rogers, a Brighton Republican who is serving his first month as the 8th Congressional District representative. “If you breathe too much of it, you forget where you came from. The best ideas I had as a state senator came from my constituents.”
The story of how Rogers arrived in the nation’s capital is long-winded compared to the tales of most of his new colleagues on Capitol Hill.
He was a candidate in one of the tightest congressional races in the nation, barely edging out state Sen. Dianne Byrum, D-Onondaga, after a recount. The campaign included 14 debates - something both candidates hoped would establish their stances on issues.
When all the votes were tallied, Rogers found himself 160 votes ahead and on his way to Washington. The results were not a surprise, he says.
He had already predicted that only a few votes would separate him from Byrum.
MSU was one of the major battlegrounds, with many voters remembering a bill introduced by Rogers that some say was detrimental to student voter turnout.
Now, some hope he takes the interest of his constituents to the nation’s capital.
“Obviously, to run for office, you have to care about other people,” said Jeanne Raven, president of the MSU College Democrats. “Hopefully now that he’s in Congress, he’ll be fighting for other people.”
Others say they’re sure he’ll work for Michigan citizens.
Jason Ahrens, chairman of the MSU College Republicans, said that after having the chance to help Rogers campaign for the seat, he predicts nothing but success for any future political goals.
“He comes across as a very honest person,” the food management junior said. “Everyone I talk to says they can see him as president some day.”
Because of the recount that took place after Election Day, Rogers was unable to enter an office lottery with other members of Congress to decide what offices each lawmaker would receive.
But he says he isn’t too worried about his not-so-glorious office assignment - which is a climb to the fifth floor, via two separate elevators, in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington.
While visitors may be confused by having to take an elevator to the fourth floor and then forced to search the hallways for another elevator - only to find it hidden - before going up another floor, Rogers and his staff are having no problem at all.
Further more, with all the inaugural excitement of the past few weeks, his office walls are still bare.
“I have yet to move my personal items,” Rogers said in a recent telephone interview.
As for his staff for the new office, Rogers chose several members from his state Senate office, including three MSU alumni and Sylvia Warner, his Senate and now-Congress spokeswoman.
The entire group made the move along with Rogers, anxious to take part, despite missing Lansing life.
“I miss Deluca’s Pizza,” said Warner, who made the move just a few days before President Bush was sworn in. “It hasn’t been a big adjustment. We’re learning how to drive back and forth - where to shop. The great thing about working with people is that people are pretty much the same everywhere.”
Rogers, a state senator in Michigan for six years and a former FBI agent, found himself being sworn into his new post by President Clinton, only to be sitting on stage behind President Bush during the nation’s 54th inauguration ceremony Jan. 20.
He also found himself standing a few feet away from both men during the ceremony and while making the rounds at several inaugural galas.
“I had a great time,” Rogers said. “On the platform, we had the new president and the old president, the old Cabinet and the new Cabinet and we had a very peaceable transfer of power.
“Where else do you see that? We take it for granted.”
All the galas and ceremonies that met the new congressman in his first weeks in office have already given him a chance to familiarize himself with Washington and expose himself to the city’s history - something he has enjoyed since past visits.
“I really like the town. I like the museums. I had a chance to visit a few years ago and examine some presidential documents, and I was handed a little red diary - George Washington’s diary,” he said.
But despite his fondness to the capital city, Rogers has pledged to keep his roots in Michigan.
It’s a goal that includes him commuting every week so his children continue their Michigan education without interruption.
Drew M. Harmon can be reached at harmondr@msu.edu.
