Four-term Michigan Democratic senator Debbie Stabenow announced this morning that she is retiring after the end of her term. This is an excellent opportunity for Republicans, after failing to retake the Senate majority in the 2022 midterms. For the longest time, the GOP has been looking to make inroads in Michigan, traditionally a brick in the “blue wall.” Donald Trump managed to win the Wolverine State in the 2016 presidential election, but since then, no Republican has won a statewide election.
Luckily, two good candidates are waiting in the wings.
John James is set to be sworn in as the representative from Michigan’s tenth district (once the House speakership snafu is sorted out). Before being elected to Congress, James had become somewhat of a perennial candidate, having lost to Stabenow in 2018 and incumbent senator Gary Peters in 2020 by a slim margin. But by the time 2024 comes around, having gained some experience in Congress, he should be well positioned to run for Stabenow’s seat.
Former representative Peter Meijer is a sensible, policy-focused politician. Though he was an excellent congressman, representing Michigan’s third district, he was not reelected. John Gibbs, a Trump-backed conspiracy-monger, bested him in the Republican primary with the help of progressives, handing Democrats the seat on a silver platter. Stabenow’s retirement is the perfect opportunity for Meijer to make his political comeback. His presence in the Senate would be a major boon for the chamber after losing one of its leading intellectual lights in Nebraska’s Ben Sasse.
Michigan hasn’t had a Republican senator since 2001. With James or Meijer, the GOP has an opportunity in 2024 to change that.