Warren city councilwoman joins U.S. House race for new Macomb swing seat

Warren City Councilwoman Angela Rogensues said Tuesday she's running for the U.S. House in Michigan's new competitive 10th District centered on Macomb County. 

Rogensues joins the Democratic primary field for the district that covers parts of Macomb and Oakland counties, including Rochester Hills, Warren and Sterling Heights.

Other Democrats in the running include first-time candidate Huwaida Arraf, a civil rights attorney who lives in Macomb Township. Sterling Heights Mayor Mike Taylor, former state Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, and Macomb County Circuit Judge Carl Marlinga are also weighing campaigns in the new district. 

“I was born and raised in Macomb County, and I love serving this community. On the Warren City Council, I’ve worked to lift up the voices of my constituents and make sure their concerns are heard and addressed,” Rogensues said in a statement.

“They deserve leaders who listen to them and get things done. Congress needs more public servants with that kind of mindset. We can do better.”

The 10th District seat is open after redistricting because U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township, opted to run for reelection next door in the 11th District that covers parts of Oakland County. 

Several high-profile Republicans are eyeing the district including Farmington Hills businessman John James, the former U.S. Senate candidate. Others include former U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop of Rochester and Eric Esshaki of Birmingham, who launched a campaign last year.

Rogensues, 40, is an at-large member of the City Council in Warren, which is Michigan's third largest city behind Detroit and Grand Rapids with about 133,000 people. She was first elected in 2019.

She has the endorsement of entrepreneur and businessman Dennis Archer Jr., who is her campaign treasurer and who said she would be a "fierce advocate" for the people of southeast Michigan in Congress.

Archer is also the CEO of Ignition Media Group, where Rogensues is president of the marketing and consulting agency, which is based in Detroit. She previously was executive director of the nonprofit Playworks Michigan.

Rogensues' campaign said she's the youngest member of Warren's council, where she introduced a bill to create the Veterans Affairs Commission to link veterans with care and services and voted to overturn the previous council’s decision to provide health insurance for life for anyone who ever served on the council.

She serves on the city's Animal Welfare and Historical commissions, the Environmental Action Committee, and as a trustee on the General Employee Retirements System that oversees investment of millions in pension and health trust funds, according to her campaign.

Last year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Rogensues to chair of the board and executive committee of the Michigan Municipal Services Authority. She also co-chairs the Michigan AFL-CIO Labor Caucus, according to her biography.

mburke@detroitnews.com