Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers has reignited controversy over the Gordie Howe International Bridge, calling the deal that built the span between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit "not a great deal for us" and claiming the United States will "never see any revenue from that thing."
Rogers vows to open bridge but ties it to auto jobs
In a question-and-answer session with the Detroit News, Rogers said only he can get the still-shuttered bridge opened. "You need to elect Mike Rogers to the Senate. I’ll get it open," he said. The former FBI agent and Michigan congressman is running in the 2026 U.S. Senate election, seeking to become the first Republican to win a Senate seat in Michigan since 1994.
Rogers argued that the current Democratic senators cannot negotiate with President Donald Trump because "all they do is poke him in the eye." He added: "This is an opportunity to send somebody back that understands what’s at risk."
Bridge as leverage against Chinese car imports
In a campaign ad posted on social media, Rogers stood in front of the bridge and said: "Gordie was known as one of the toughest guys in hockey. And we need to be as tough at stopping Chinese cars coming over that bridge as Gordie Howe was on the ice." He blamed Democrats for losing "tens of thousands of auto jobs" in Michigan and warned that China is "threatening to drive our auto industry off the road."
Rogers told the Detroit News that Canada reduced tariffs on Chinese-made cars from 100% to 6% and increased the quota to 70,000 vehicles. However, Canada’s actual annual quota for Chinese-made electric vehicles is 49,000 at a 6.1% tariff rate, with a plan to reach 70,000 over five years. "My argument was, let’s use the bridge opening as an opportunity to stop Canada from hurting American automobile workers," Rogers said.
Contradictory stance on timing
Despite his pledge to open the bridge, Rogers told a Detroit radio station that the span should remain closed for up to another six months if Canada does not concede to Trump’s demands. "If we have this bridge open two months, three months, six months later, and we win a significant concession from Canada about these Chinese cars, that’s significant for auto workers right here in the state in keeping their jobs. That’s worth having a little scuffle over," he said. He added: "It is no money out of our pocket having that bridge closed for another six months."
The Detroit Metro Times ran its coverage under the headline: "Mike Rogers wants the Gordie Howe bridge open except when he doesn’t."
Revenue concerns and deal criticism
In the Q&A, Rogers also criticized the financial terms of the bridge, which was paid for by Canada. "It was not a great deal for us. We’ll never see any revenue from that thing, from what people around the bridge tell me, for a long time. One hundred years, someone told me. Well, I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it’s breathtaking, that part," he said.
