Republicans have an opportunity to flip an important seat in 2024 following the announcement by Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow that she will not run for reelection the next cycle.
Stabenow was the first Michigan woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate, a position she has held since 2001. In a statement on Thursday, she said she is “inspired by a new generation of leaders” and ready to pass the torch once her current term concludes on January 3, 2025.
“Under the cloud of unprecedented threats to our democracy and our basic freedoms, a record-breaking number of people voted last year in Michigan,” Stabenow said. “Young people showed up like never before. This was a very hopeful sign for our future.”
Senator Gary Peters, a fellow Michigander who has served alongside Stabenow in the Senate since 2015, called her “a trailblazer and amazing senator for Michigan.” He particularly praised her work as chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, including shaping policy to aid farmers and curb child hunger.
“Debbie is a dear friend and mentor,” said Peters in a statement provided to Newsweek. “There is no question she will leave an enduring legacy—as a champion for children, women and families, workers, manufacturing and our auto industry, mental health care and the Great Lakes.”
The Michigan GOP tweeted Thursday that it is already eyeing a Republican replacement for Stabenow “in addition to electing a Republican president.”
Newsweek reached out to the Michigan GOP for comment.
Jenna Bednar, professor of political science and public policy at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek that she was surprised to hear the news but said it offers opportunities to both parties in what has notoriously become a purple state.
“I think this is great news for both parties of Michigan,” Bednar said. “[Stabenow] opened her announcement by talking about how much talent is in the state.”
Democrats in Michigan are “doing very well in a 50-50 state,” she added, noting how Democrats retained the offices of governor, secretary of state and attorney general.
Republicans have “a huge opportunity” to recalibrate after a tough 2022 midterm, Bednar said, adding that they are “crystallizing” what the prize is and how they achieve it.
“Oh my goodness does the Republican Party of Michigan need reorganization, as they have said themselves,” she said. “This last election was a disaster for them and the party is at a real moment where they need to change who they are.”
Jim Townsend, a former Michigan representative and current director of the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School, told Newsweek that Stabenow “gave everything she had to being a U.S. senator.”
He also said a major strength of hers was her ability to be self-aware and focus on issues and not drama, which included routinely working across the aisle.
“Michigan remains very much a battleground state,” Townsend said. “Democrats had a tremendous year in the 2022 election but that doesn’t guarantee success in the future. It suggests that voters are interested in problem solvers and not ideology.”
While not naming potential replacements for her seat, he expects a nominee who will not cater to extremes on either side of the partisan spectrum.
“You have to be able to show people you are focused on Michigan’s problems and that you’re going to be someone who supports and listens to a broad spectrum of the state,” he said. “I think candidates that only seek to appeal to their base—I think this could be true on either side—have a limited opportunity in Michigan.”
Bednar said it’s too early to tell which Republicans will throw their name into the ring. Failed gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon has made strides, but her future remains unknown.
On the Democratic side, Bednar mentioned incumbent Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and even U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as possible nominees. Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, have a home in Traverse City, Michigan.
“I am fully focused on serving the President in my role as Secretary of Transportation, and not seeking any other job,” Buttigieg said in a statement about the Senate seat, according to Politico reporter Adam Wren. “We are hard at work to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, grow the economy, and create good-paying jobs.”
Another potential candidate could be current U.S. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, who recently won reelection and has won multiple elections in different districts—some of which have leaned more toward former Donald Trump than President Joe Biden. She also worked under Republican and Democratic presidents.
It would be more likely to have a candidate like that than one from the Michigan Legislature due to fundraising and media attention, Bednar added.
“Whitmer and Benson—both have hit the national stage,” she said. “The governor has been profiled in multiple national outlets. The secretary of state, with the chaos of the 2020 elections and then the non-chaos of the 2022 elections—both times she really looked like a champion. Both of those leaders will kind of be at the top of everyone’s list.”
Newsweek reached out to Stabenow’s office and Michigan Democrats for comment.
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