Swing state Democrat not seeking reelection, leaving key Senate seat open

Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters announced Tuesday that he will not be seeing reelection, leaving a key Senate seat open in 2026.

Peters, 66, released a video, saying “Thank You” for support he received throughout his time in the Senate. The announcement came as a shock to many. Peters has been serving in the Senate since 2014 and was the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) in the last election cycle.

Peters has recently been voting for many of Trump’s cabinet picks, but without the need to win reelection, that posture could change.

🚨BIPARTISAN QUINTET🚨 These five Democrat Senators have all voted to confirm 4/5 of Trump’s nominees so far (Rubio, Ratcliffe, Noem, and Bessent.) pic.twitter.com/hEobLwQE2V

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 28, 2025

President Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2024 presidential election, and Republicans now have a chance to add another Senate seat to their majority. (RELATED: Sen. Gary Peters Praises Chinese Government As Coronavirus Continues To Spread)

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Peters was chairman of the DSCC from 2021 to 2025, helping his party raise money for campaigns across the country. (RELATED: Swing State Democrat Senator Up For Re-Election Dodges Questions On Medicare-For-All)

It is unclear who will run for Peters’s seat, but names being mentioned by Michigan political operatives include former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who moved to Michigan in the past few years, and current Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott released a statement shortly after Peters’s announcement, saying, “Gary Peters is reading the room. After spending years ignoring illegal immigration and destroying his state’s auto industry, Michigan is better off without him.”

“We’re committed to giving them a fighter that will stand with President Trump to restore the economic prosperity and security of our country,” Scott added.