Michigan Democratic Senator unexpectedly not running for reelection, opens key Senate seat
Gary Peters, 66, was 1st elected to the Senate in 2014 after 3 terms in the U.S. House
Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who led the Democrats' Senate campaign efforts the past two election cycles, has announced he will not seek a third term in 2026, creating a highly contested battleground seat expected to be highly coveted by both parties.
The 66-year-old's unexpected decision Tuesday to step aside after just two terms comes as a surprise and poses a challenge for Democrats in Michigan during a turbulent period, likely dividing their strong bench between the gubernatorial and Senate race in 2026.
Having lost Michigan in the presidential race, Peters' decision forces Democrats to defend a critical Senate seat in Michigan without the advantage of an incumbent, complicating their efforts to regain control of the chamber in 2026, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority.
Expected to be among the names most circulated for the position is Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. Transportation Secretary who moved to Michigan in recent years.
This is the second consecutive cycle in which Democrats must navigate the challenge of defending an open Senate seat in Michigan, a state won by Donald Trump in 2024.
Longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow shocked many by announcing she would not seek a fifth term in 2024. Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin managed to hold that seat for the party by a narrow margin of fewer than 20,000 votes.
First elected to the Senate in 2014 after serving three terms in the U.S. House, Peters has earned a reputation as a mild-mannered and moderate politician. In addition to leading the Senate Democrats' campaign efforts from 2021 until earlier this year, he also chaired the Senate Homeland Security Committee from 2021 to 2025 and is currently the ranking member on the committee.
Peters earned praise from many Democrats for aiding the party's strong performance in the 2022 midterms by winning a number of hotly contested races to hold control of the Senate. But two years later, Republicans flipped several highly competitive seats, costing Democrats their majority in the upper chamber.
The Detroit News first reported Peters' decision.