Michigan Sen. Gary Peters’s (D) unexpected decision to not seek another term in 2026 has scrambled what was already expected to be a closely fought race in a key battleground.

Democrats knew that next year’s Senate race in the Great Lakes State was going to be fierce, especially after President Trump narrowly eked out a win over former Vice President Kamala Harris even as Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) managed to fend off her GOP rival.

But now, with Peters stepping down, the race is poised to be even more bruising for Democrats, as a flurry of candidates have indicated they might be interested in seeking the party's nomination, while some high-profile names like former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) are also being floated.

“We had a two-term incumbent there who had a pretty good track record of delivering for Michigan and hadn’t really done anything to offend any major constituencies in the state. And now you’re starting over from scratch if you’re the Democrats,” said Democratic strategist Adrian Hemond. “So that definitely makes it more competitive.”

Peters served in the House for six years before first being elected to the Senate in 2014, easily winning by double digits despite the otherwise brutal electoral year for Democrats. His reelection victory in 2020 was much narrower, winning by less than 2 points, as Michigan appeared to be turning increasingly purple.

While only in his second term, Peters became more prominent among Senate Democrats, leading their campaign arm, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), for the past four years and guiding the party through two cycles, including the 2022 midterms, which saw unexpected success for his party.

“Sen. Peters was tapped to head the DSCC the last two cycles for a reason,” Hemond said. “He’s very........

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