Debbie Stabenow announcing her retirement, Dems are scrambling to replace her
According to sources, Reps. Elissa Slotkin and Debbie Dingell are considering running. According to Michigan Democrats, Rep. Haley Stevens and other House members may examine it.
The sudden announcement and the number of Democrats who have waited years to seek for higher office contributed to the swift maneuvering and widespread speculation.
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Dingell, who represents Michigan’s 6th District, was startled. “She informed me months ago she was running…. I can’t fathom our delegation without her, but today we commemorate her and figure it out.”
On Thursday, Debbie Stabenow announced her retirement, the first significant retirement ahead of the 2024 cycle, when Senate Democrats will defend a slate of important swing states. It also kicks off an open primary in a presidential battleground state, with Republicans and up-and-coming Democrats eyeing a tough contest without a three-term incumbent.
“We have huge possibilities,” Debbie Stabenow told POLITICO. I’ll be talking to dozens of people. We have a great generation of leaders, but the Republicans don’t.
On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who shares his time between Washington, D.C., and Traverse City, Mich., declared they will not run for Stabenow’s seat.
After winning reelection by more than 10-points last year, Whitmer said she looked “forward to working with her through the remainder of her tenure” as governor.
Buttigieg stated, “fully focused on serving the President in my role as Secretary of Transportation, and not seeking any other job.” Buttigieg stated, “we are hard at work to restore the nation’s infrastructure, expand the economy, and generate good-paying jobs.” buttigieg has declined House bids and portrayed himself as an executive.
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Stabenow wouldn’t disclose if she’s discussed the position with Buttigieg. “I look forward to speak to many interested people,” she stated. However, I’ve had a hectic day. I haven’t had such opportunities.”
Jenny Byer, Andy Levin’s spokeswoman, says he won’t run for Senate either.
The congressman “knows our state has a talented bench of Democratic leaders to follow in the footsteps of Senator Debbie Stabenow and represent Michigan well in the U.S. Senate,” according to his spokesperson.
Michigan’s Democratic bench includes a full slate of statewide elected leaders, a big congressional delegation representing swing areas, and a virally famous state legislator.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel could run for Senate. Benson will receive a Presidential Citizens Medal from President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., on Friday for her participation in managing the 2020 election in her state.
However, numerous Michigan Democrats remarked that all those candidates may be eyeing the governor’s mansion, which won’t open again until 2026.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who gained national attention in 2021 for her Senate floor address and created a large online donor network, has also been mentioned as a possibility.
McMorrow lauded Debbie Stabenow but did not declare her candidacy.
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“It’s a traffic jam,” said one Michigan Democratic strategist, granted anonymity to discuss the primary field.
Before 2024, Michigan will dominate politics. Democrats hold the governorship and both legislative chambers for the first time in 40 years. They might change politics by bringing new business and jobs to one of the oldest states in the nation.
Republicans are anticipated to compete in the state, not just at the presidential level. According to several national GOP operatives, the Republican primary to fill Stabenow’s seat could be as messy as the Democratic one, with candidates 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.
A national strategist for Senate campaigns said Perry Johnson, a Detroit businessman, and Kevin Rinke, a former car dealer and gubernatorial contender, might potentially run.
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Tudor Dixon, who lost the 2022 governorship to Whitmer, is another notable Republican in the state. Dixon “isn’t ruling anything out, but is laser-focused on how she can help Republicans win in 2024,” a source said.
After Dixon’s contentious campaign, the Michigan Republican Party’s co-chair blamed Dixon and Republican contributors who “hate” former President Donald Trump for the party’s statewide defeats.
State GOP organizers said they want to avoid a contentious race to fill Stabenow’s seat. Jason Cabel Roe, a Republican consultant from Michigan, cited the 2022 Ohio Senate contest, which turned into a fight for Trump’s backing.
