Ex-House Republican who voted to impeach Trump drops Michigan Senate bid

Former Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., announced Friday evening that he had dropped out of the race to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate.

“I got into this race because I believed I had the strongest chance of winning in November to work to right this ship and reverse trendlines that have only gotten worse over these past months,” Meijer, whose family founded the Meijer supermarket chain, said in a statement posted on X.

“The hard reality is the fundamentals of the race have changed significantly since we launched this campaign,” he continued. “After prayerful consideration, today I withdrew my name from the primary ballot. Without a strong pathway to victory, continuing this campaign only increases the likelihood of a divisive primary that would distract from the essential goal — conservative victories in November.”

Meijer, who represented Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District from 2021 to 2023 and lost his re-election bid to a GOP challenger in the state’s 2022 Republican primary election, was one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol.

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Former Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., announced Friday evening that he had dropped out of the race to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate. (Sarah Rice for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Shortly after Meijer released the statement, Trump took to Truth Social and congratulated “all Good Republicans” and insisted “the 10 Impeachers are just about gone.”

“Peter Meijer, one of the 10 Impeachers of your Favorite President, ME, and someone thought of to have a very good political future, has just withdrawn from the Senate Race in the Great State of Michigan,” the former president wrote. “Once he raised his very little and delicate hand to Impeach President Trump, his Political Career was OVER!”

“Last time he lost in the Primary to a nice, but unknown, person, and now he lost to a GREAT Candidate, Mike Rogers, who will easily WIN the Nomination, and go on to WIN the Senate, BIG, in Michigan,” Trump added. “Happily, the 10 Impeachers are just about gone.”

The two remaining Republicans who voted to impeach Trump that remain in office are Reps. Dan Newhouse of Washington and David Valadao of California.

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Shortly after Meijer released the statement, Trump took to Truth Social and congratulated “all Good Republicans” and insisted “the 10 Impeachers are just about gone.” (Daniel Steinle)

The other eight — Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, John Katko of New York, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Tom Rice of South Carolina and Fred Upton of Michigan — either retired from Congress or were defeated in their respective primary elections.

Trump noted in his post on Truth Social that he believes Newhouse “will be next” to lose re-election.

“Newhouse, in Washington State, will be next – VOTE FOR JERROD SESSLER,” Trump wrote.

There are now ten Republicans, including former Michigan Reps. Mike Rogers and Justin Amash, who are seeking their party’s nomination for the position in the upper chamber to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

Rogers, who is currently the favored Republican candidate in the race and has received support from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, will likely face off against another popular Michigan politician if he wins the state’s primary election and moves on to the general election.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., are both candidates running to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. (Getty Images)

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Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is currently the highest polling Democrat seeking the position, outpacing her top challenger in the race, actor Hill Harper.