Summary:
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At least two of the most well-known Democrats in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who now splits his time between Washington, D.C., and his family home in Traverse City, Mich., quickly said on Thursday that they would not be running for Stabenow’s seat.
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Mallory McMorrow, a state senator who gave a speech on the floor of the state Senate in 2021 that went viral and helped her build an extensive network of online donors, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.
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According to several national GOP operatives, the Republican primary to fill Stabenow’s seat could be just as messy as the Democratic one.
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Candidates include Rep.-elect John James, who recently won a congressional seat after a failed Senate bid in 2018, former Rep. Peter Meijer, who lost a GOP primary to a Trump-backed candidate last year, and former Rep. Peter Meijer.
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Other well-known Republicans are still present in the state, such as Tudor Dixon, who lost to Whitmer in the 2022 election for governor.
Dingell, who represents Michigan’s 6th District and is one of the most well-known politicians in the state, was shocked and said, “I’m startled.” She told me she was running months ago. Although I can’t picture our delegation functioning without her, today is the day we honor her. After that, we’ll work it out.
Before the 2024 election season, when Senate Democrats will be on the defensive in several key swing states, Stabenow’s Thursday announcement is the first significant retirement. Also, it makes it possible for a state that is thought to be a presidential swing state to have a competitive race without a three-term incumbent on the ballot.
According to Stabenow, “We have a wonderful collection of prospects.” “As you can expect, I’ll engage in many interactions with people.” We have a great group of leaders, but I don’t think the Republicans have a similarly strong group.
At least two of the most well-known Democrats in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who now splits his time between Washington, D.C., and his family home in Traverse City, Mich., quickly said on Thursday that they would not be running for Stabenow’s seat.
Whitmer was re-elected by a margin of more than 10 points last year. In a lengthy statement about Stabenow’s legacy, she said she was “looking forward to working with her for the rest of her tenure” as governor, which means she planned to finish her four-year term.
Buttigieg said in a statement he made, “I am completely focused on serving the President in my role as Secretary of Transportation and am not looking for any other job.” “We are hard at work to repair the nation’s infrastructure, boost the economy, and generate good-paying jobs,” Buttigieg stated in the present tense. Buttigieg has turned down chances to run for the House before and has often said that he has an “executive skill set.”
Stabenow declined to say whether she had discussed the seat with Buttigieg. “I’m looking forward to speaking with many interesting folks,” she remarked. But I’ve had a hectic day thus far. and I haven’t had those chances yet.
The Democratic bench in Michigan is one of the deepest in the nation, even beyond Whitmer and Buttigieg. It has a full slate of statewide elected officials, many representatives in Congress from swing districts, and a state lawmaker who became famous on the internet last year.
Three statewide elected officials, including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel, may be in an excellent position to run for the Senate. Benson will go to Washington, D.C., on Friday to get a Presidential Citizens Medal from President Joe Biden for her work running the 2020 election in her state.
The governor’s house won’t be open again until 2026, but numerous Michigan Democrats pointed out that all those contenders might also be keeping an eye on it.
Mallory McMorrow, a state senator who gave a speech on the floor of the state Senate in 2021 that went viral and helped her build a large network of online donors, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. In a statement, McMorrow praised Stabenow, but she didn’t say what she planned to do in the race.
Given anonymity to speak openly about the primary field, a Michigan Democratic strategist said, “I don’t think anyone clears the deck.” “It’s a traffic jam.”
Before 2024, Michigan will be the hub of political action. Democrats now hold sway over the governor’s office and both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years. What they can do could change the political scene in a big way, including giving one of the oldest states in the country new economic and job opportunities.
Republicans are expected to campaign hard in every part of the state, not just for the presidency. According to several national GOP operatives, the Republican primary to fill Stabenow’s seat could be just as messy as the Democratic one. Candidates include Rep.-elect John James, who recently won a congressional seat after a failed Senate bid in 2018, former Rep. Peter Meijer, who lost a GOP primary to a Trump-backed candidate last year, and former Rep. Peter Meijer.
According to a national strategist working on Senate campaigns, two past candidates for governor, including Perry Johnson, a businessman from the Detroit area, and Kevin Rinke, another former candidate for governor and a former car dealer, may also consider the race.
Other well-known Republicans are still present in the state, such as Tudor Dixon, who lost to Whitmer in the 2022 election for governor. Dixon “isn’t ruling anything out” but remains laser-focused on how she can assist Republicans to win in 2024, according to a person who knows Dixon’s views.
After the end of Dixon’s campaign, which ended in a fight when the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party blamed the party’s losses across the state on Dixon and Republican donors who “hate” former President Donald Trump, a field this big could bring up old wounds.
GOP insiders in the state, though, expressed optimism that they could avert a divisive race to replace Stabenow. Republican consultant Jason Cabel Roe of Michigan said, “I don’t see them acting like the Ohio Senate primary.” He talked about the Ohio Senate primary in 2022 when the race turned into a fight to get Trump’s support.
