Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) will not run for reelection next year and will retire after more than 10 years in the Senate, saying he is ready for a “new chapter.”

Peters announced his plans in an interview with the Detroit News, noting he plans to devote his post-Senate career to spending time with his family and a new grandchild, who lives on the West Coast.

“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life,” Peters told the outlet.

Peters’s decision to forgo reelection sets Michigan up for yet another fight in the battleground state. In the 2024 election, former Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow did not seek another term, leaving the seat a toss-up that eventually went in Sen. Elissa Stokin’s (D-MI) favor by less than one percentage point.

Peters would have had a tough race for the 2026 midterm elections but would have enjoyed the advantage of incumbency and the status as Michigan’s senior senator. President Donald Trump swept Michigan and the other battleground states last November, but with his absence on the ballot, turnout in midterms traditionally drops off.

Democrats are in a transition period after losing the presidential race with Vice President Kamala Harris and the loss of the Senate majority. As the party grapples with revamping its messaging strategies and platform, it could benefit from midterm elections often swinging away from the incumbent president.

This is a developing story and will be updated.