As the first woman elected to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate, she’s been leading the fight for working families, the auto industry and farmers for a lifetime in Michigan and for Michigan in Washington, DC. – Gov. Whitmer
“She is a fierce protector of our Great Lakes, fought for decades to modernize the Soo Locks and continues to tackle toxic contaminants in drinking water. She’s also a leader in expanding access to affordable health care and ensuring parity for mental health services.”
Stabenow’s announcement opens up a 2024 Senate race in Michigan
Last week, local businessman, author and small business advocate Nasser Beydoun announced the Beydoun for Senate Exploratory Committee and Statewide Listening Tour to explore the feasibility of a primary candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Stabenow.
“As I embark on this venture, I have decided to form an exploratory committee to raise the resources and build the requisite structure and campaign organization to pursue the office of U.S. Senate,” Beydoun said. “I look forward to continuing the conversation with Michiganders alike in order to determine the best way to tackle the most pressing issues affecting our great state.”
The quick maneuvering and rampant speculation around it is owed, in large part, to the sheer number of Democrats who have long waited for a crack at running for higher office, and also to the abruptness of the announcement.
“I’m stunned,” Dingell, who represents Michigan’s Sixth District and is among the state’s highest-profile politicians, told Politico. “She told me months ago she was running… I can’t imagine our delegation without her, but today is the day we celebrate her and then we figure it out.”
Michigan will be an epicenter of political activity ahead of 2024. For the first time in 40 years, Democrats control all the levers of power: the governor’s mansion, the Secretary of State’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office and both legislative chambers. What they’re able to accomplish, including bringing new business and job opportunities to one of the oldest — age-wise — states in the nation, will have a potentially profound impact on the political landscape.
Republicans are expected to play aggressively in the state as well, and not just at the presidential level. The Republican primary to fill Stabenow’s seat could be just as messy as the Democratic one, with a number of options ranging from former Rep. Peter Meijer, who lost a GOP primary to a Trump-backed candidate last year, to Rep.-elect John James, who just won a congressional seat after a failed Senate bid in 2018, according to several national GOP operatives.
Two former gubernatorial candidates could also look at the race, according to a national strategist working on Senate campaigns, including Perry Johnson, a Detroit-area businessman, and Kevin Rinke, another former gubernatorial candidate and a former auto dealer.
Other prominent Republicans remain in the state, like Tudor Dixon, who lost a bid for governor to Whitmer in November. A person with knowledge of Dixon’s thinking noted that she “isn’t ruling anything out, but remains laser-focused on how she can help Republicans win in 2024.”
Leave a Reply