US Senator Debbie Stabenow told reporters at the US Capitol last month.Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Senator Debbie Stabenow announced yesterday that she will not seek re-election and will retire after completing her fourth term in 2025.
Important reasons: The retirement of Democrats will boost Michigan’s status as a battleground state for the 2024 election, giving it an opportunity for new candidates from both parties to emerge.
- Stabenow, who has been in the Senate for more than 20 years, said in a statement that her decision was “inspired by a new generation of leaders.”
what she said: “I think it’s important to know when and where to open the door again and pass the torch for others. This really feels like the right time for me and the right time for Michigan. ” she told the Detroit News.
What we see: US Congressman Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), Congressman Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham), and Lieutenant Governor Garlyn Gilchrist have already emerged as candidates to replace Stavenau.
- Peter Meyer, Tom Barrett, Mike Cox, and Lisa McClain are seen as viable options for the Republican Party.
conspiracy: Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Mayor Mike Duggan have already fought off a potential run for the position.
- “Senator Stabenow has done a great job for this state, and I congratulate her for going out on her terms,” Duggan said yesterday. I have promised to the people of the United States that if I am re-elected, I will serve four full years in the Senate.”
What they say: Republican strategist John Selleck told Axios that Stabenow’s retirement would set off a “political earthquake,” with “probably 1,000 meetings already.”
- “There’s no reason to believe the Republican primaries won’t be like last year,” Selleck said, adding that the Democratic primaries could be disrupted as well, but stable leadership starting with the governor puts them in a better position. added. Candidate for victory.
Big picture: Republicans hoped Michigan would become a hook for blue-collar voters to show their advance after Trump’s stunning victory in 2016. But since then, the Republican Party has suffered a series of setbacks — culminating in Governor Whitmer’s landslide victory last year.
- Stabenow beat out top Republican in-state talent, including Spence Abraham in 2000, Mike Bouchard in 2006 and John James in 2018, but Republicans now have a new chance.