After Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) announced Tuesday he wouldn’t be seeking reelection, Michigan got another hotly contested open seat for the 2026 elections.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) is term-limited, and Peters is retiring, meaning two of the most lucrative statewide offices will be open in a battleground state that voted for Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, for the Senate and for President Donald Trump, a Republican, for the White House, in the most recent election. Few candidates have announced their runs for governor, but now many of the rumored contenders may explore the open Senate seat.
In the gubernatorial race, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the only Democrat who has confirmed a bid to succeed Whitmer, which she announced earlier this month. The other two declared candidates include Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, running as an independent after being a longtime Democrat, and Republican state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt.
Whitmer, who cannot run for a third term as governor, will not run for the open Senate seat, a spokesperson for her PAC said Tuesday, making both races wide open on the Democratic side.
Many of the names reportedly considering a run for governor could now run for Senate instead, most notably former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat.
The former presidential candidate and mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is now exploring a run for the Senate seat and a run for governor, according to a report from Axios. The report claimed he is “exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve,” citing an anonymous person close to Buttigieg.
Other Democrats reportedly considering a run for one of the two vacant seats include Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D-MI), who is considered a contender for the governorship, while Reps. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI) are reportedly considering running for the Senate seat.
Several Republicans reportedly expressed interest in one of the two high-profile races, with CNN reporting that Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) is considering a run for the Senate seat, while Rep. John James (R-MI), who unsuccessfully ran for the seat in 2020, posted an ominous message on X potentially opening the door to a run in 2026.
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Both seats will be hotly contested battleground races in the 2026 elections, being open seats in a state Trump won in the last election. Michigan could be the battleground state for the off-year election next year, with open races for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and United States Senate.
All seats in both chambers of the Michigan legislature are also on the ballot in 2026 and are expected to be hotly contested. The state Senate currently has a narrow 20-18 Democratic majority, while the state House has a 58-52 Republican majority.