Former Secretary of Transportation and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is not ruling out a possible Senate run in Michigan in 2026, following Sen. Gary Peters’ decision not to seek re-election.
“Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve,” a source familiar with the millennial Democrat’s thinking told Fox News Digital.
“He’s honored to be mentioned for this, and he’s taking a serious look.”
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Pete Buttigieg is weighing his options ahead of the 2026 race. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Buttigieg’s potential interest in running for Senate was first reported by Axios.
“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life,” Peters told the Detroit News in an interview published on Tuesday.
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Sen. Gary Peters, left, announced he would not seek re-election. (Getty Images)
“And that goes back to 2008 when I first won that House seat. I thought it would be for a matter of a few terms that I would serve, and then I would go back to private life,” he said.
Peters chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) twice and oversaw Democrat Elissa Slotkin’s Senate win in Michigan in 2024, despite the state swinging for President Donald Trump at the top of the ticket.
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Sen. Elissa Slotkin defeated her Republican opponent. (Chip Somodevilla)
Following Peters’ announcement, DSCC spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement, “No Republican has won a Michigan Senate race in 30 years – including last cycle when Democrats won an open Senate seat even as Trump won the state – and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026.”
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Sen. Tim Scott is chairing the NRSC for the 2026 cycle. (Reuters)
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National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., said in his own statement, “Gary Peters is reading the room. After spending years ignoring illegal immigration and destroying his state’s auto industry, Michigan is better off without him. We’re committed to giving them a fighter that will stand with President Trump to restore the economic prosperity and security of our country.”