by CHRISTOPHER BEHNAN

DEMOCRAT CHALLENGES ROGERS

East Lansing Democrat Kande Ngalamulume announced his candidacy for Congress in Howell on Thursday, and told a crowd of roughly 20 people how he can "bring Michigan back."

The group of supporters held signs with that very slogan as Ngalamulume laid out his plan to unseat current 8th Congressional District Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, outside the historical Livingston County Courthouse.

The congressional district covers all of Livingston, Ingham and Clinton counties and portions of Oakland and Shiawassee counties.

Ngalamulume said he's confident he can defeat Rogers because the congressman will be busy "re-electing his buddies in Congress" while Ngalamulume meets with voters in the district.

"That's going to give me an opportunity to go out and talk to voters on open turf," Ngalamulume said.

Ngalamulume said he recognizes his campaign against Rogers will be an uphill battle, particularly in predominantly Republican Livingston County.

The district supported Barack Obama for president in 2008 election, but Rogers has always pulled higher percentages in the district than the top of the ticket.

Ngalamulume said Congress needs to continue cracking down on corporate greed and invest more in education. If elected, he said he would work to bring benefits of the recently passed health-care law to the congressional district, and advocate moving up the start of the federal health-care coverage exchange from 2014 to 2012.

He said Rogers has failed to work toward any of these goals.

"It's a matter of having strong leadership, and that's what's been lacking," Ngalamulume said.

Rogers spokeswoman Sylvia Warner said the congressman has supported legislation that makes it easier for families to save for vocational and college education through a tax-free program, increases access to affordable health care, and improves automobile fuel and energy efficiency.

"Congressman Rogers is focused on improving the job and economic climate in Michigan, working to undo the crushing price increases on health-care premiums just passed into law and stopping dangerous runaway government spending that is stealing from our children," Warner said.

Ngalamulume, 31, emigrated with his family to the United States from Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, when he was 10. He attended high school in East Lansing and attended Michigan State University.

He left Michigan in 2002 for Philadelphia, where he last worked as a business analyst for Independence Blue Cross. Ngalamulume said he quit his job and returned to Michigan in February to support his home state by running for Congress.

Contact Daily Press & Argus reporter Christopher Behnan at (517) 548-7108 or at cbehnan@gannett.com.