Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, declared on Tuesday that he would not seek reelection in Michigan in 2026, setting up a crucial open-seat contest in one of the country’s most evenly divided swing states.
In an interview with The Detroit News, Peters announced that he would not retire but would not run for reelection because he did not believe that serving in Congress was something that should be done for the rest of one’s life.
He told the newspaper, “I always thought there would come a time when I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation.”
This is a fairly common statement, in my opinion, for everyone to make: I’ve done a job, and I’m proud of it, but I have other goals for my life. I can contribute to the community in various ways.
Peters announced his choice via a press release and video as well.
The battle for Senate control in two years and maybe Michigan’s highly anticipated gubernatorial contest will be affected by Peters’ choice. Republicans presently control the tie-breaking vice presidency and 53 Senate seats. Peters’ departure might make it more difficult for his party to win the majority in a state that President Donald Trump has won by a slim margin twice and lost once.
In the competitive state, Peters has had to contend with difficult election battles on numerous occasions. Since Michigan could be one of the most important battlegrounds on the Senate map next year, the open race only increases the chances of a contested Senate election there, even if his race would have probably been close if he had chosen to run again.
It’s unknown who candidate from either party would challenge Peters. The two-term Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited, thus most of the state’s attention has been on the wide-open contest for governor, to the point where some in Michigan were already anticipating the 2026 elections.
Right present, the only significant Democrat in the run for governor is Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, while the only significant Republican in the race is Republican Leader of the Michigan State Senate Aric Nesbitt. Former Democrat Mike Duggan, the mayor of Detroit, is running on his own initiative after quitting the party.
However, it was anticipated that a large number of prospective candidates from both parties would think about running for governor. This opportunity might persuade some of those legislators to run for the Senate instead.
Peters stated to The Detroit News that he is intent on serving out his term in the Senate and would not seek another public office in 2026.