Michigan's Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers made a campaign stop near Big Rapids Wednesday to rally support for a path to Washington and pledge his support to stop the construction of an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Green Charter Township.
The facility is expected to bring 2,300 jobs to the area and has received over $1 billion in incentives from the state and federal government. It's resulted in a divided community that's experienced a recall election of all five township board members, several protests and contentious public meetings and a growing fear over the company's public ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Rogers told supporters if he's elected to the Senate, he'll try and block Chinese scientists from obtaining visas to work at the plant.
“And my argument is we should do everything we can to stop this," Rogers said. "Remember, this benefits China. This isn’t benefiting this community.”
Rogers added that taxpayer dollars should not be used to benefit a foreign company, and he has concerns over the plant's impact on the environment.
Michigan GOP Chair Pete Hoekstra also opposes the facility and told the crowd of supporters that the "plant is not going to be built.”
Across the street from the rally, community members and local officials gathered to garner support for the plant's construction, holding signs that said, "Gotion means jobs."
Chuck Thelen is the vice president of manufacturing for Gotion in North America. He said the CCP has no say in the plant's business decisions, and the facility will bring jobs to a struggling mid-Michigan county.
“It never really recovered from the 2008-2009 downturn," Thelen said. "We’ve lost 3% population every year, and if your child graduates high school, chances are very solid they're moving out of town."
Rogers is facing Democrat Elissa Slotkin for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat. The winner will fill the seat now held by Debbie Stabenow, who is retiring.
The latest poll from the Cook Political Report shows Slotkin with an eight point lead over Rogers.
