Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg recently announced he will not seek Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat or governorship in 2026, despite speculation following his relocation to Michigan with his family. This move opens the door for emerging Democratic stars.
Buttigieg’s choice is seen as a strategic step toward a potential 2028 presidential campaign. He acknowledged giving a 2026 run serious consideration, even going as far as to meet with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, but decided that maintaining flexibility for 2028 was paramount. Democratic strategist David Axelrod, a mentor to Buttigieg, praised the tough call, telling Politico, “The hardest decision in politics is to pass on a race you have a very good chance to win. . . But had he won in ’26, it would almost certainly have taken him out of the conversation for ’28.” In Axelrod’s statement to Politico, Buttigieg was an “A-list recruit” who likely “would have been a formidable candidate” for the open Senate seat, but stepping aside keeps the door open for a presidential campaign.
Instead of running in the Senate or gubernatorial races in Michigan next year, Buttigieg plans to spend his time elevating his national profile and engaging voters on broader issues. Buttigieg wrote in his announcement that throughout the next couple of months, he will engage “both legacy and digital media in the service of a politics of everyday life, rooted in freedom, security, and democracy.”
Buttigieg’s decision has made Michigan Democrats tense, fearing the loss of the Senate seat in a state Trump won in 2024. Still, Buttigieg expressed confidence in the Democratic Party, saying it “has a deep and talented bench here in Michigan,” and predicting that “we will nominate an outstanding candidate for each office.”
With Buttigieg (and other prominent democrats like Governor Gretchen Whitmer) opting out, there is no obvious heir-apparent, and a competitive Democratic primary is now taking shape for the seat opened by Senator Gary Peters’s retirement. Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow, whose 2022 floor speech vaulted her to national attention, is now a leading contender for the open 2026 U.S. Senate seat. Representative Haley Stevens, a four-term congresswoman who previously flipped her district, has also taken steps toward a run by hiring additional staff. Furthermore, former Senator Debbie Stabenow is encouraging freshman Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet to enter the race, arguing that her working-class appeal is crucial for Democrats.
At 43, Buttigieg represents a shift that some in the party are eager to see, especially as Democrats look ahead to a post-Biden era. Michigan is expected to be one of the early primary states in the 2028 Democratic presidential calendar, potentially giving Buttigieg a home-field advantage in a pivotal early race. Buttigieg’s decision has reshuffled the deck in Michigan politics and is a calculated risk aimed at the bigger prize in 2028.
