On January 28th, Senator Gary Peters (D-Michigan) announced that he would not seek a third term in the United States Senate. Before his time as a congressman and U.S. senator, Peters served in the U.S. Navy Reserve before working as a city councilman and state senator. After serving three terms in the House of Representatives, and two terms in the Senate, Peters announced that “now is [the] time for me to write a few more paragraphs in my current chapter and turn over the reins”. At age 66, Peters is considered relatively young by U.S. Senate standards, leaving many stunned by his decision.
Peters currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and is on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Armed Services Committee, and the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The Lugar Center recognized Peters as the 2nd most bi-partisan senator, and most bi-partisan democratic senator during the 118th Congress’s first session.
Peters’s unexpected decision now leaves a senate seat open in a fierce battleground state. With the Republicans flipping the Senate in the 2024 election, every seat is critical for the Democrats in the upcoming 2026 election. While losing the Presidential election, the Democratic party prevailed in the Michigan senate election, with Senator Elissa Slotkin beating Former Congressman Mike Rogers by a razor-thin margin of .3%. Michigan Democrats will now fight to keep their second senate seat blue. Peters has pledged to aid in this effort to ensure the next senator for Michigan will be a “dynamic Democrat.”
One potential candidate that has emerged is former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who now is a resident of Traverse City. Buttigieg is said to be carefully eyeing the opportunity and is finding the best avenue for him to serve. Another possibility for Buttigieg is the governor’s race, as Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited and will leave the seat open for the 2026 election.
An exciting candidate for the Democrats is Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow. McMorrow garnered national attention in 2022 due to a viral speech, which was in response to a Republican colleague accusing her of grooming and sexualizing children in a fundraising email. Prominent political figures like Hillary Clinton voiced their support for the state senator on X (formerly Twitter), and even former U.S. President Joe Biden reached out via phone call to McMorrow.
Other possible contenders include Representative Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) and Representative Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids). Governor Whitmer has already declared that she will not seek the open senate seat following the end of her term as governor.
For the Republicans, a likely candidate is Mike Rogers, the challenger to Elissa Slotkin during the 2024 election. With such a thin margin in his most recent attempt, Rogers has stated on X that he is strongly considering a second bid for the Senate. Besides Rogers, Representative John James (R-Shelby Township) is another name being thrown around. James previously ran (unsuccessfully) in 2018 and 2020, against former Senator Debbie Stabenow and Peters respectively. Representative Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) is also said to be considering a run for the open seat.
Peters’s unforeseen decision leaves the political scene in Michigan in a frenzy until the 2026 general election. With the gubernatorial and senatorial races now in play for both parties, Michigan’s top-of-the-ticket races are sure to make the mitten state one of the most watched during the midterm election. The lack of an incumbent for both the governor and senate races makes the next election cycle all the more unpredictable.
