Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced Tuesday that he won’t run for re-election in Michigan in 2026, creating a pivotal open-seat election next year in one of the most tightly divided swing states in the United States.
Peters made the announcement in an interview with The Detroit News, in which he said he wouldn’t resign but won’t seek re-election because he “never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life.”
“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation,” he told the paper.
“I think this is pretty normal for everybody to say, I’ve done a job, and I’m proud of the job I did, but there are other things I want to do in my life. There are other ways that I can give back to the community.”
Peters’ decision will have implications for the fight for control of the Senate in two years and, potentially, for Michigan’s closely watched race for governor. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate, plus the tie-breaking vice presidency. Peters’ retirement in a state Donald Trump has twice won narrowly (and lost once) could add another degree of difficulty to his party’s efforts to win the majority.
Peters has repeatedly faced tough election fights in the competitive state. So while his race would have likely been competitive if he decided to run again, the open race only raises the likelihood of a competitive Senate election in Michigan next year, when it could be one of the top battlegrounds on the Senate map.
A big field of potential candidates for Senate and governor
It’s unclear who might run to replace Peters from either party. To the extent people in Michigan were looking forward to 2026 elections already, much of the attention in the state has been focused right now on the wide-open race for governor, since two-term Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.
Whitmer said in a statement issued by a spokesperson for her political group, Fight Like Hell, that she wouldn’t seek Peters’ seat.
“Governor Whitmer is grateful for Senator Peters’ service,” the spokesperson said. “She is proudly serving the people of Michigan as governor and is not running for this seat in the Senate.”
Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the only major Democrat in the race for governor right now, while Michigan state Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt is the only major GOP candidate in the race. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a former Democrat, left the party and is mounting an independent bid.
But many potential candidates on both sides of the aisle were expected to consider running for governor. It’s possible the opening could sway some of those politicians to decide to mount a Senate bid instead.
On the Democratic side, possible gubernatorial contenders include Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist; former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who moved to the state a few years ago (his husband grew up in Michigan); and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a member of the Democratic leadership in the Senate whose influence has grown in the state after she delivered a buzzy floor speech pushing back against Republicans who claimed her party wanted to indoctrinate children.
And the Republican side could get crowded too — there are a number of current or former GOP members of Congress who could be strong candidates if they decide to run, and candidates for governor in 2022 who may want to try to run again.
Now that the Senate race is open, it could serve as another release valve for pent-up political ambition among Michigan Democrats and Republicans.
GOP Rep. John James, for example, ran in two of the last three Senate elections, though it’s unclear whether he’d want to run again this year. A Republican Senate strategist keeping tabs on the race told NBC News they’re keeping an eye specifically on James, as well as former Rep. Mike Rogers (who ran in 2024) and current Rep. Bill Huizenga.
Republican Rep. Lisa McClain, the House Republican Conference Chair, told reporters that she wouldn’t run for the Senate and that she is “happy here” in the House.
Tudor Dixon, a political commentator who lost to Whitmer in the 2022 governor’s race, acknowledged Tuesday that she is considering entering the GOP Senate primary.
“I appreciate the outpouring of support and am considering our future very seriously,” Dixon said on X.
A source familiar with Buttigieg’s thinking confirmed that he is “exploring all options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve.”
“He’s honored to be mentioned for this, and he’s taking a serious look,” the source added.
A source close to Gilchrist made it clear that he’s considering a Senate bid too, amid the open gubernatorial race.
“This is a pivotal time for Michigan and the country, and while he’s working with Governor Whitmer to make progress for Michigan he’s seriously considering running for this open Senate seat,” the source said.
McMorrow told NBC News that she is looking at both the gubernatorial and the Senate races and plans to “have a number of conversations in the coming days about where I can do the most good for Michiganders.”
Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., who won her second term last fall in a Grand Rapids-area district, also is looking at the Senate race, a source close to her said.
As for Gilchrist, if he chooses to run for the Senate instead of governor next year, the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association is prepared to spend seven figures in the primary on his behalf, said the group’s executive director, Kevin Holst.
Dennis Lennox, a GOP consultant with extensive Michigan experience, noted that Sen. Elissa Slotkin enjoyed a relatively clear Democratic primary field in her successful bid to succeed Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired.
“Democrats in Michigan are institutionally stronger, and clearing the field will help their eventual nominee,” said Lennox, who mentioned Buttigieg as a strong candidate.
Lennox went on to mention James as a potential candidate for either post and wondered whether Huizenga or Rep. John Moolenaar would want to give up their House seats if James doesn’t run for the Senate.
“There isn’t much of a Republican bench, although Michigan is one of those states where there’s perennially an outside business kind of candidate who self-funds,” he said, mentioning former RNC and Michigan GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel as a “wild card” possibility.
Peters’ rise in politics
Peters told The Detroit News he wouldn’t run for another public office in 2026 and is focused on finishing his Senate term.
A former state senator, Naval Reserve officer and head of the state’s lottery, Peters arrived in Washington in 2009 after defeating a GOP incumbent in an Oakland County-area House race. He won a tough re-election in 2010 amid the Republican wave that year before winning a difficult Democratic primary after redistricting threw him into a district with another incumbent.
He then won a campaign to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin in 2014, earning a second term in a hard-fought race against James in 2020.
Peters holds pivotal committee posts in the Senate, on the Appropriations, Armed Services and Commerce, Science and Transportation committees. And he served two stints leading the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Under his leadership in 2022, Democrats expanded their majority in an election cycle many had expected would be difficult for his party.
Two years later, Democrats lost control of the Senate. Besides losing seats in deep-red West Virginia in 2024, Montana and Ohio, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey also lost in Pennsylvania, but Democrats kept Senate seats in other battlegrounds Trump won, including Michigan.
Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced today that he will not seek re-election in Michigan, a crucial battleground state in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. Peters, who has served in the Senate since 2015, cited personal reasons for his decision to step down.
Peters, a moderate Democrat known for his bipartisan approach to governance, was facing a tough re-election battle in a state that narrowly voted for President Joe Biden in 2020. His departure leaves a significant void in the Democratic Party’s efforts to retain control of the Senate.
In a statement, Peters thanked his constituents for their support and pledged to continue working on behalf of Michiganders until his term expires in January 2023. He also expressed confidence in the Democratic Party’s ability to field a strong candidate to succeed him.
Peters’ decision not to run for re-election is sure to shake up the political landscape in Michigan and could have far-reaching implications for the balance of power in the Senate. As both parties gear up for what promises to be a fiercely contested election cycle, all eyes will be on Michigan as Democrats seek to hold onto their slim majority in the Senate.
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters will not seek re-election when his term ends in Jan. 2027, Fox News has confirmed.
Peters, a two-term senator and former congressman, told the Detroit News that he will start a “new chapter,” spending more time with family after nearly two decades of public service.
“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 outlet.
“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.”
His decision to retire leaves open a senate seat in a state President Donald Trump won in 2024. But Democrats held a similarly open seat when Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., narrowly defeated Republican Mike Rogers.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Fox News’s Chad Pergram contributed to this report. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
Michigan Democratic Senator Gary Peters announced today that he will not seek re-election in 2022. In a statement released to the press, Peters cited a desire to spend more time with his family and to pursue new opportunities outside of politics.
Peters, who has served in the Senate since 2015, has been a vocal advocate for issues such as healthcare, infrastructure, and environmental protection. He has also been a key player in the Democratic party’s efforts to regain control of the Senate.
Peters’ decision not to seek re-election comes as a surprise to many in the political world, as he was widely expected to run for a third term. His departure leaves a significant gap in the Democratic party’s efforts to hold onto his seat in the upcoming election.
In his statement, Peters expressed his gratitude to the people of Michigan for their support and promised to continue fighting for their interests until his term ends. He also hinted at future endeavors, stating that he looks forward to finding new ways to serve his community.
As the news of Peters’ decision spreads, speculation is already swirling about who might step up to fill his shoes in the Senate. With the race for his seat now wide open, the political landscape in Michigan is sure to heat up in the coming months.
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Michigan Democratic Senator, Gary Peters, re-election, Senate, Michigan politics, Democratic Party, 2022 elections, political news
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who led the Democrats’ Senate campaign efforts the past two election cycles, has announced he will not seek a third term in 2026, creating a highly contested battleground seat expected to be highly coveted by both parties.
The 66-year-old’s unexpected decision Tuesday to step aside after just two terms comes as a surprise and poses a challenge for Democrats in Michigan during a turbulent period, likely dividing their strong bench between the gubernatorial and Senate race in 2026.
Having lost Michigan in the presidential race, Peters’ decision forces Democrats to defend a critical Senate seat in Michigan without the advantage of an incumbent, complicating their efforts to regain control of the chamber in 2026, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority. Expected to be among the names most circulated for the position is Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. Transportation Secretary who moved to Michigan in recent years.
This is the second consecutive cycle in which Democrats must navigate the challenge of defending an open Senate seat in Michigan, a state won by Donald Trump in 2024.
Longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow shocked many by announcing she would not seek a fifth term in 2024. Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin managed to hold that seat for the party by a narrow margin of fewer than 20,000 votes.
First elected to the Senate in 2014 after serving three terms in the U.S. House, Peters has earned a reputation as a mild-mannered and moderate politician. In addition to leading the Senate Democrats’ campaign efforts from 2021 until earlier this year, he also chaired the Senate Homeland Security Committee from 2021 to 2025 and is currently the ranking member on the committee.
Peters earned praise from many Democrats for aiding the party’s strong performance in the 2022 midterms by winning a number of hotly contested races to hold control of the Senate. But two years later, Republicans flipped several highly competitive seats, costing Democrats their majority in the upper chamber.
The Detroit News first reported Peters’ decision.
Michigan Sen. Gary Peters will not run for reelection
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Sen. Gary Peters says he won’t be seeking a third term in 2026.
The surprise decision Tuesday again complicates for Democrats in Michigan, who will be forced to defend an open seat in the battleground state for the second straight election cycle. Peters led the Democrats’ Senate campaign efforts from 2021 to 2025 and helped the party hold control of the chamber in 2022 before Republicans flipped it last year.
Among the top names expected to circulate to replace Peters is former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who moved to Michigan in recent years. The race is expected to be among the most competitive in the country with control of the chamber again up from grabs in 2026.
The Detroit News first reported Peters’ decision.
Michigan Sen. Gary Peters announced today that he will not seek reelection in 2026, opening up a key U.S. Senate race in the state. Peters, a Democrat, has served in the Senate since 2015 and previously served in the House of Representatives.
His decision not to seek another term has already sparked speculation about who will run to replace him. Michigan is a crucial swing state, and the outcome of the Senate race in 2026 could have significant implications for national politics.
Peters cited a desire to spend more time with his family and pursue new opportunities as reasons for his decision not to run again. He thanked his constituents for their support and pledged to continue working on behalf of Michigan during the remainder of his term.
The race to replace Peters is expected to be hotly contested, with both Democrats and Republicans likely to field strong candidates. The outcome will be closely watched as both parties vie for control of the Senate in the next election cycle.
Stay tuned for updates on the Michigan Senate race as potential candidates begin to emerge and the campaign heats up.
Tags:
Michigan, Sen. Gary Peters, reelection, U.S. Senate race, 2026, Michigan Senate, political news, election updates, Democratic Senator, Michigan politics
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who led the Democrats’ Senate campaign efforts the past two election cycles, has announced he will not seek a third term in 2026, creating a highly contested battleground seat expected to be highly coveted by both parties.
The 66-year-old’s unexpected decision Tuesday to step aside after just two terms comes as a surprise and poses a challenge for Democrats in Michigan during a turbulent period, likely dividing their strong bench between the gubernatorial and Senate race in 2026.
Having lost Michigan in the presidential race, Peters’ decision forces Democrats to defend a critical Senate seat in Michigan without the advantage of an incumbent, complicating their efforts to regain control of the chamber in 2026, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority. Expected to be among the names most circulated for the position is Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. Transportation Secretary who moved to Michigan in recent years.
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This is the second consecutive cycle in which Democrats must navigate the challenge of defending an open Senate seat in Michigan, a state won by Donald Trump in 2024.
Longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow shocked many by announcing she would not seek a fifth term in 2024. Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin managed to hold that seat for the party by a narrow margin of fewer than 20,000 votes.
First elected to the Senate in 2014 after serving three terms in the U.S. House, Peters has earned a reputation as a mild-mannered and moderate politician. In addition to leading the Senate Democrats’ campaign efforts from 2021 until earlier this year, he also chaired the Senate Homeland Security Committee from 2021 to 2025 and is currently the ranking member on the committee.
Peters earned praise from many Democrats for aiding the party’s strong performance in the 2022 midterms by winning a number of hotly contested races to hold control of the Senate. But two years later, Republicans flipped several highly competitive seats, costing Democrats their majority in the upper chamber.
The Detroit News first reported Peters’ decision.
Michigan Sen. Gary Peters announced today that he will not seek reelection in 2022, opening up a key Senate seat in the upcoming election. Peters, a Democrat, has served in the Senate since 2015 and previously served in the House of Representatives.
Peters’ decision not to run for reelection comes as a surprise to many, as he was widely expected to seek a second term. His departure from the race will likely lead to a competitive contest for his seat, as Michigan is a closely divided state politically.
Peters’ decision not to run for reelection is sure to have significant implications for the upcoming Senate race in Michigan, and will likely lead to a crowded field of candidates vying to replace him. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
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Michigan Senate, Gary Peters, reelection, key Senate seat, political news, Michigan politics, Senate race, Democratic Party, US Senate, Michigan Senator
Washington ― Gary Peters, Michigan’s senior senator and a former congressman, said he won’t seek reelection next year and will retire from the U.S. Senate when his second term ends in January 2027.
In an exclusive interview, the Bloomfield Township Democrat told The Detroit News that he is ready to leave public office in two years and move onto a “new chapter” that includes spending more time with his family ― particularly a new grandchild who lives on the West Coast.
“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,” said Peters, who was first elected to the Senate in 2014.
“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.”
Peters’ decision is likely to surprise many of his colleagues and ignite an intense scramble on both sides of the aisle for his seat in battleground Michigan.
At 66, Peters is relatively young for a U.S. senator, but after 10 years in the Senate and six in the House, he has decided to pass the torch to a younger generation. He has other things he wants to do, like finding “endless, winding roads” for his Harley Davidson, he said. It’s a decision he’s been mulling for several months.
“I think this is pretty normal for everybody to say, I’ve done a job, and I’m proud of the job I did, but there are other things I want to do in my life. There are other ways that I can give back to the community,” Peters said.
“I want to be very clear: I’m not retiring. I’m just not running for reelection in the Senate. I hope, God willing, I have a lot more good years ahead.”
Asked if he would run for governor of Michigan or any other elected office, Peters said no. He’s instead focused on “finishing strong” for his last two years in the Senate, where he serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security panel and is the new co-chair of the Auto Caucus.
“There’s still a lot of work to do. We have issues related to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, natural disasters, cybersecurity to border security, and I’m intimately involved in all these issues, and we’ll continue to do that,” Peters said.
“The great thing is this really allows me to just be completely, completely focused on the day-to-day work that I do as a U.S. senator and fight for issues that are important to people here in Michigan.”
Blow to Michigan clout
Peters has trained much of his focus in Congress on issues related to Michigan’s auto industry, the Great Lakes, cybersecurity, veterans issues, toxic PFAS contamination and initiatives to make government more efficient. His annual motorcycle tour around the state has become a staple of lawmakers’ August recess.
Peters’ decision to not seek reelection in 2026 follows last year’s blockbuster battle for the seat of Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Lansing Democrat who retired earlier this month after 24 years in the Senate.
Democrat Elissa Slotkin, a former congresswoman from Holly, succeeded Stabenow this month after defeating Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake Township in November with the narrowest margin of victory among Democratic Senate candidates nationally, about 19,000 votes.
Peters’ departure would deliver another blow to Michigan’s clout in Washington. He’s the delegation’s most senior Democrat and has secured seats on some of the Senate’s most influential committees, including Appropriations, Armed Services and the powerful Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee that’s important to Michigan’s auto industry.
Prior to Peters, Michigan hadn’t had an appropriator in the Senate since 1958, he said ― a reference to GOP Sen. Charles Potter.
“I’m confident the seat will stay Democratic, and I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure that that is indeed the case,” said Peters, who just completed two consecutive election cycles as chairman of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm.
“We’ve got a lot of young, dynamic folks who can run for this office, who have distinguished themselves, so I suspect there’ll be a number of folks who will be interested. I’ll encourage them to run. But I know that there’s no shortage of talent.”
Political resume
Born in 1958, Peters grew up in Rochester Hills in a union household, the son of a public school teacher and a nurse’s aide who helped organize the nursing home where she worked and became a steward in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Peters’ parents met in France during World War II when his father was stationed in his mother’s town and serving at Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s headquarters after the invasion of Normandy.
In Michigan, Peters graduated from Alma College and worked as a financial adviser for over two decades, including management positions at Merrill Lynch and UBS/PaineWebber. He spent 12 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
His first stint in elected politics was on the Rochester Hills City Council in 1991, followed by two terms in the state Senate from 1995-2002. Peters ran unsuccessfully for attorney general against Republican Mike Cox in 2002 before his appointment as the state lottery commissioner by Democratic then Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2003.
He won election to the U.S. House in 2008, defeating 16-year incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg by nearly 9.5 percentage points.
Peters served three House terms before succeeding longtime Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, in the Senate by winning a 2014 race against Republican former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land by 13 percentage points.
That year, Peters was the only Senate Democratic freshman elected amid a GOP midterm wave when Republicans picked up nine seats in the U.S. Senate, and Michigan Republicans picked up other statewide offices.
Peters won a second term in 2020, defeating GOP businessman John James by about 2 percentage points after a contentious, high-profile campaign that broke fundraising records at the time. James was elected to the U.S. House in 2022.
Peters said he’s most proud of his record of bipartisanship while in the Senate. The nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked him the No. 1 senator for effectiveness in the 116th and 117th Congresses. In the 117th, he had 19 measures signed into law, according to his office, and 10 in the 116th.
The 116th Congress covered the years he served in the minority under GOP President Donald Trump and ran for reelection against James ― a campaign in which Republicans claimed Peters was “invisible” and “the politician known for doing nothing.”
“Probably every bill that I’ve got passed is because I’ve actually walked over to the House, I’ve set up a meeting with the Republican leader in that committee, and I’ll sit down and first build a relationship,” Peters said. “The first part of the conversation has nothing to do with the bill.”
Legislative legacy
While in the House, Peters sat on the conference panel that finalized the sweeping 2010 Dodd-Frank reforms to Wall Street and the banking system. During his House days, Peters said he was also “intimately” involved in the federal rescue of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC when the Michigan automakers were hit by the 2008 financial crisis.
More recently, Peters wrote parts of the CHIPS and Science Act to ensure the legislation supported not just the domestic manufacturing of top-of-the-line computer chips but also the “legacy” chips used in automobiles, he said.
A 2018 legislative provision authored by Peters created the National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes, located at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie and at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. The center’s mission is to do research and training activities to prepare the Coast Guard for oil spills in freshwater or ice-laden environments.
That idea arose out of Peters’ concern about an oil spill or leak from Energy Inc.’s Line 5 and his questioning of the Coast Guard commandant in committee. Peters recalled asking him how confident he was that the Coast Guard could clean up a spill in the Great Lakes.
“And his quote was, ‘I’m not confident at all. I’m not sure we could do that,’ which is pretty frightening,” Peters said. “That’s why I went to work to create this center of expertise, which is up and running now. It’s about protecting fresh water all over the country from an oil spill.”
Peters was among the first in the Senate to sound the alarm about toxic PFAS contaminants, holding the first Senate hearing on the topic in 2018, he said. He passed a bill to discontinue the use of PFAS- containing fire-fighting foams at commercial airports.
Homeland Security investigations under Peters as chair probed Secret Service failures in relation to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last year, intelligence failures ahead of the Jan. 6 attack in 2021, and the country’s overreliance on China, India and other countries for crucial pharmaceutical drugs.
The panel also passed legislation to protect people’s privacy and protect systems from ransomware and other attacks. A 2022 bill by Peters required that the owners of critical infrastructure like banks and electric grids promptly report to federal officials major cyber attacks or ransomware payments.
A bill that was meaningful to Peters personally, he said, was one to help veterans who were given a less-than-honorable discharge from the military due to behavior resulting from post-traumatic stress disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury conditions that were not diagnosed.
The idea for the bill came from a homeless veteran in Grand Rapids who fit that description, Peters said.
“He went to the VA because he knew something was really bad, and the VA said, ‘Well, you’re suffering from PTSD as a result of your service in Afghanistan, but because you have a bad paper discharge, we can’t treat you,” Peters recalled.
His 2016 legislation allowed veterans like that individual to get their status changed so they can get care or educational benefits from the VA.
“He’s now getting the treatment that he certainly earned and deserves,” Peters said.
Peters doesn’t have plans for after he leaves the Senate, but a teaching job in academia or policy work at a think tank fit his interests. He wants to continue to play a role in developing public policy, he said, particularly around ensuring equitable access to changes in technology like artificial intelligence.
Peters previously served as the Griffin Endowed Chair of American government at Central Michigan University and was working on a doctorate in philosophy at Michigan State University when he put it on hold to run for Congress.
“The PhD is still on hold right now, but who knows?” Peters said. “Maybe it could be part of that next chapter.”
mburke@detroitnews.com
Michigan Senator Gary Peters announced today that he will not seek reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2022. Peters, a Democrat, cited a desire to spend more time with his family and pursue other opportunities outside of politics.
In a statement released by his office, Peters expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the people of Michigan and highlighted his accomplishments during his time in office, including fighting for affordable healthcare, protecting the Great Lakes, and supporting small businesses.
Peters’ decision not to seek reelection comes as a surprise to many in the political world, as he was widely expected to run for a third term. His departure leaves an open seat in a crucial battleground state, setting the stage for a competitive race in the upcoming midterm elections.
Several potential candidates have already expressed interest in running for Peters’ seat, including Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. The race is expected to draw national attention and could play a key role in determining control of the Senate.
As Peters prepares to step down from the Senate, he leaves behind a legacy of dedicated service to the people of Michigan and a commitment to fighting for the values he believes in. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
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Gary Peters, Michigan senator, Gary Peters reelection, U.S. Senate news, Michigan politics, Gary Peters retirement, Senate seat opening
The members of the Republican National Committee, in a vote that was never in doubt, on Friday re-elected chair Michael Whatley to continue steering the national party committee.
“This organization has got to be the tip of the spear. And as your chairman, I promise this organization will be the tip of the spear to protect Donald Trump,” Whatley said, as he spoke after the unanimous voice vote at the RNC’s annual meeting, which was held this year in the nation’s capital ahead of Monday’s inauguration of President-elect Trump.
Whatley, a longtime Trump ally and a major supporter of Trump’s election integrity efforts, who was serving as RNC general counsel and chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, was named by Trump last March as chair as the former president clinched the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Whatley succeeded longtime RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, whom Trump no longer supported.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the RNC’s winter meeting, Whatley says his job going forward in the 2025 elections and 2026 midterms is straight forward.
Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is unanimously re-elected at the RNC’s winter meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday.(Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
“It’s really critical for us to make sure that the Trump voters become Republican voters,” Whatley told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the RNC’s winter meeting, which is being held in the nation’s capital.
Republicans enjoyed major victories in November’s elections, with Trump defeatingVice President Kamala Harris to win back the White House, the GOP flipping control of the Senate from the Democrats, and holding on to their razor-thin majority in the House.
Whatley, who was interviewed on Thursday on the eve of the formal RNC chair vote, said the GOP needs “to cement those gains” made in the 2024 elections.
“We’re going to go right back to the building blocks that we had during this election cycle, which is to get out the vote and protect the ballot,” Whatley emphasized.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley gavels to order the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The RNC chair pointed to “the lessons that we learned” in the 2024 cycle “about going after low propensity voters, about making sure that we’re reaching out to every voter and bringing in new communities,” which he said helped Republicans make “historic gains among African American voters, among Asian American voters, among Hispanic voters, young voters and women voters.”
Speaking a couple of days before the president-elect’s inauguration, Whatley emphasized that once Trump’s in the White House, “we’re going to go right back to the RNC. We’re going to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We’ve got a couple of governor’s races…that we’re going to be working on in ‘25.”
But Whatley said “everything is focused on ‘26,” when the party will be defending its majorities in the House and Senate, “because that is going to determine, from an agenda perspective, whether we have two years to work with or four. And America needs us to have a four-year agenda.”
“What we’re going to be doing is making sure that we are registering voters,” he said. “We’re going to be…communicating with the folks that we need to turn out.”
Republican National Committee chair Mike Whatley is interviewed by Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the RNC’s winter meeting in Washington D.C., on Thursday.(Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Pointing to the 2024 presidential election, Whatley said “it’s the same fundamentals.”
But he noted that “it’s not just seven battleground states” and that the 2026 contests are “definitely going to be a very intense midterm election cycle.”
While Democrats would disagree, Whatley described today’s GOP as “a common sense party… this is a party that’s going to fight for every American family and for every American community.”
Referring to former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump has nominated to serve in his second administration’s cabinet, Whatley touted “the fact that we have two former Democratic presidential candidates who are going to be serving in the president’s cabinet. That shows you that this is a commonsense agenda, a commonsense team, that we’re going to be moving forward with.”
In December, Trump asked Whatley to continue during the 2026 cycle as RNC chair.
“I think we will be able to talk when we need to talk,” Whatley said when asked if his lines of communication with Trump will be limited now that the president-elect is returning to the White House. “We’re going to support the president and his agenda. That does not change. What changes is his ability from the White House to actually implement the agenda that he’s been campaigning on.”
The winter meeting included the last appearance at the RNC by co-chair Lara Trump. The president-elect’s daughter-in-law is stepping down from her post.
She stressed that it’s crucial the RNC takes “the opportunity the voters have given us” to “continue to expand the Republican brand.”
The elder Trump is term-limited and won’t be able to seek election again in 2028. Vice President-elect JD Vance will likely be considered the front-runner for the 2028 GOP nomination.
Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, and President-elect Trump appear during an election night celebration at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 6, 2024.(Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Whatley reiterated what he told Fox News Digital in December — that the RNC will stay neutral in the next race for the GOP nomination and that the party’s “got an amazing bench.”
“You think about the talent on the Republican side of the aisle right now, our governors, our senators, our members of Congress, people that are going to be serving in this administration. I love the fact that the Republican Party is going to be set up to have a fantastic candidate going into ’28,” he highlighted.
Unlike the DNC, which in the 2024 cycle upended the traditional presidential nominating calendar, the RNC made no major changes to their primary lineup, and kept the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary as their first two contests.
Asked about the 2028 calendar, Whatley reiterated to Fox News that “I have not had any conversations with anybody who wants to change the calendar, so we will wait and see what that looks like as we’re going forward. We’re at the RNC meetings this week and having a number of conversations with folks, but that is not a huge push.”
“I don’t think that changing the calendar really helped the Democrats at all,” Whatley argued. “And I think that us, making sure that we are working our system the way that we always have, is going to be critical.”
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.
RNC chair Whatley vows to be ‘tip of the spear’ to protect Trump after coasting to re-election victory
The Republican National Committee chair, John Whatley, has secured his position for another term after coasting to victory in the re-election race. In his victory speech, Whatley vowed to continue to be the “tip of the spear” in protecting President Trump and advancing the Republican agenda.
“I am honored to have been re-elected as RNC chair, and I am ready to continue to fight for President Trump and our conservative values,” Whatley said. “I will be the tip of the spear, leading the charge to protect our president from attacks and ensure that our party remains strong and united.”
Whatley’s re-election comes at a crucial time for the Republican Party, as they gear up for the 2020 presidential election. With President Trump facing mounting criticism and opposition from Democrats, Whatley’s leadership will be vital in rallying support for the president and mobilizing the party base.
“I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure that President Trump is re-elected in 2020,” Whatley stated. “I will not back down in the face of adversity, and I will continue to be a fierce advocate for our president and our party.”
As Whatley begins his new term as RNC chair, all eyes will be on him to see if he can deliver on his promise to be the “tip of the spear” in protecting Trump and leading the Republican Party to victory in the upcoming election.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Things seemed to be looking up for Venezuela in 2022. Following years of authoritarian rule and withering economic sanctions, President Nicolás Maduro had agreed to work toward a democratic presidential election. The White House, in return, granted him a financial lifeline: a permit for U.S. energy giant Chevron to pump and export Venezuelan oil.
Oil wells roared back to life and massive tanker ships returned to Venezuela’s coast to be filled with heavy, hard-to-refine crude destined for the U.S.
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The United States has officially rejected the reelection of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, declaring his recent victory in the presidential election as illegitimate. Despite this, the US has decided to keep the financial lifeline open for his government, a move that has sparked controversy and debate.
Many critics argue that by maintaining financial support for Maduro’s government, the US is indirectly legitimizing his presidency and perpetuating the oppressive regime in Venezuela. However, supporters of the decision argue that cutting off financial aid could worsen the humanitarian crisis in the country and harm the Venezuelan people.
The US government has stated that it will continue to closely monitor the situation in Venezuela and will take further action if necessary. In the meantime, the debate over the US stance on Maduro’s reelection and its financial support for his government continues to rage on.
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US rejects Venezuelan President Maduro’s reelection
CARACAS, Venezuela — Things seemed to be looking up for Venezuela in 2022. Following years of authoritarian rule and withering economic sanctions, President Nicolás Maduro had agreed to work toward a democratic presidential election. The White House, in return, granted him a financial lifeline: a permit for U.S. energy giant Chevron to pump and export Venezuelan oil.
Oil wells roared back to life and massive tanker ships returned to Venezuela’s coast to be filled with heavy, hard-to-refine crude destined for the U.S.
Maduro’s promised election was neither fair nor free, and the longtime president was sworn in this month for a third six-year term despite credible evidence that his opponent got more votes. Yet, the sanctions reprieve the U.S. offered “to support the restoration of democracy” is still helping fill state coffers.
Venezuela’s opposition says Maduro’s government has earned billions of dollars from exports allowed by the permit.
The White House has ignored calls from the main opposition coalition, as well as Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, to cancel a permit that now accounts for around a quarter of the South American country’s oil production.
Senior administration officials have struggled to explain why the permit has been left in place under questioning by reporters, saying only that sanctions policy toward Venezuela is frequently reviewed. President Joe Biden told reporters last week he “didn’t have enough data” to adjust oil-related sanctions before he leaves office Monday.
Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves and once used them to power Latin America’s strongest economy. But corruption, mismanagement and eventual U.S. economic sanctions saw production steadily decline from the 3.5 million barrels per day pumped in 1999, when the fiery Hugo Chávez took power and began his self-described socialist revolution, to less than 400,000 barrels per day in 2020.
California-based Chevron Corp., which first invested in Venezuela in the 1920s, does business in the country through joint ventures with the state-owned company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA.
The joint ventures produced about 200,000 barrels a day in 2019, but the following year, U.S. sanctions imposed by then-President Donald Trump forced Chevron to wind down production.
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a 30% decline in the country’s economic activity, Venezuela’s Central Bank reported year-over-year inflation of over 1,800%. For many, rummaging through garbage in search of food scraps or valuable items became a common activity.
Locked out of world oil markets by U.S. sanctions, Venezuela sold its remaining oil output at a discount — about 40% below market prices — to buyers like China and other Asian markets. It even started accepting payments in Russian rubles, bartered goods or cryptocurrency.
Once Chevron got a license to export oil to the U.S., its joint ventures quickly began producing 80,000 barrels a day, and by 2024, they topped their daily output from 2019. That oil is sold at world market prices.
The terms of the license bar Chevron from directly paying taxes or royalties to Venezuela’s government. But the company sends money to the joint ventures, which are majority-owned by PDVSA.
“What Chevron is doing is buying oil from joint ventures,” Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodriguez said. “This purchase of oil is what generates the revenue of the joint ventures,” and that revenue pays taxes and royalties to Venezuela’s government.
It is not clear exactly how Venezuela’s government, which stopped publishing almost all financial data several years ago, uses this revenue. Neither the government nor Chevron have made public the terms of the agreement allowing the company’s return to Venezuela.
Chevron did not answer questions from The Associated Press regarding the joint ventures, including payments made to Venezuela’s treasury.
“Chevron conducts its business in Venezuela in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations,” Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne said in a statement.
Economist José Guerra, a former economic research manager at Venezuela’s Central Bank, said the license’s impact is partly reflected in the nation’s foreign cash reserves, which increased by roughly $1 billion between February 2022 and November 2024, according to the institution’s data. The government uses its dollar reserves in part to maintain an artificially low exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Venezuelan bolivar.
“The only explanation is that Chevron exports without discounts, it exports everything — the 200,000 barrels go abroad — and that is what is feeding the reserves,” Guerra said. “I call it Saint Chevron.”
The outcome of Venezuela’s presidential election, and a subsequent campaign of repression, have prompted new calls to rescind the licenses.
“In the end, one wonders, and quite rightly so, why the Biden administration continues to maintain a license whose objective was not achieved,” said Rafael de la Cruz, who is an adviser to the opposition campaign of Edmundo González and María Corina Machado. He said the opposition has estimated that Maduro’s government has received about $4 billion through the operation of the joint ventures.
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, stacked with government loyalists, declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election hours after polls closed. But unlike in previous contests, electoral authorities did not provide detailed vote counts, while the opposition collected tally sheets from 85% of electronic voting machines showing its candidate, González, won by a more than a two-to-one margin. U.N. experts and the U.S.-based Carter Center, both invited by Maduro’s government to observe the election, said the tally sheets published by the opposition are legitimate.
“The election was stolen. Therefore, the basis for any lifting of sanctions doesn’t exist,” said Elliot Abrams, who was special representative for Venezuela during Trump’s first term. “So, why isn’t the administration then reimposing the full sanctions?”
Maduro continues to boast of his resistance to U.S. influence. “Venezuela will not be colonized or dominated, neither by carrot diplomacy nor by stick diplomacy,” he said after taking the oath of office on Jan. 10. “Venezuela must be respected.”
The disputed results have deepened Venezuela’s protracted social, economic and political crisis, which has has pushed millions into poverty, stunted hungry children’s growth and driven entire families to migrate. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have already left their homeland since Maduro became president in 2013.
Rodriguez said in a December analysis that a U.S. government decision to revoke Chevron’s license or further tighten sanctions “would have discernible effects on migration.” He estimated that more than 800,000 Venezuelans could emigrate between 2025 and 2029 if Chevron’s license is canceled.
After Maduro’s inauguration, Biden defended his decision not to toughen sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, explaining that the idea is “still being investigated in terms of what impact it would have and whether or not it would just be replaced by Iran or any other” country’s oil market.
“It matters what would happen afterwards,” he told reporters.
The United States has officially rejected the reelection of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, citing concerns over the legitimacy of the election process. However, despite this rejection, the US has decided to maintain its financial lifeline to his government.
This decision comes as a surprise to many, as the US has been a vocal critic of Maduro’s administration and has imposed numerous sanctions against Venezuela in an effort to pressure him to step down. The decision to continue providing financial support to his government has raised questions about the US’s commitment to promoting democracy and human rights in the region.
Critics argue that by maintaining financial ties with Maduro’s government, the US is effectively propping up a regime that has been accused of numerous human rights abuses and has plunged the country into a deep economic crisis. However, supporters of the decision argue that cutting off financial support could further destabilize the country and harm the Venezuelan people.
The future of US-Venezuela relations remains uncertain, as the US continues to grapple with how to best address the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in the country. It remains to be seen how Maduro will respond to this rejection and whether it will lead to further tensions between the two countries.
The House Speaker election is expected to be narrow and contentious. The 20th Amendment stipulates that a new session of Congress begins on Jan. 3.
With each session of Congress passing its own rules, House business is stymied until a Speaker is elected.
With former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., indicating he will not return to his seat despite being reelected in his Pensacola district, that leaves the Republican caucus only able to weather a one-vote defection.
Gaetz called President-elect Trump’s endorsement of current House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to retain his role “’Art of the Deal’-level practicality” in a post on social media.
“We could never have held up [Kevin] McCarthy two years ago for concessions if a Trump certification hung in the balance. Now, it does,” said Gaetz, whom McCarthy blames for his turbulent ouster in 2023.
So far, Rep. Thomas Massie, a fiscally conservative member from Ashland, Ky., has indicated he will not support Johnson’s bid to remain House speaker, comparing him unfavorably to ex-Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
Massie was also a no-vote on Ryan’s speakership, and wrote that the Wisconsinite “went on to offer a fake repeal of ObamaCare, increased spending, backed the deep state, and didn’t fund a [border] wall” – and that Johnson’s bids to “send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans and blow the budget” are comparable.
If other Republicans join Massie in either voting “present” or for a candidate other than Johnson, the House may be at a standstill for some time and unable to conduct other business including their own swearing-in.
Mike Johnson, current House speaker, has announced his intention to seek re-election for his position with a strong endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.
In a statement released by the Trump campaign, the President-elect praised Johnson’s leadership and dedication to conservative values, stating that he has been an invaluable ally in advancing the administration’s agenda.
Johnson, who has served as House speaker since 2019, has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s policies and has worked tirelessly to push through key legislation in Congress.
“I am honored to have the support of President-elect Trump as I seek re-election as House speaker,” Johnson said in a press conference. “I am committed to continuing to work with the President to deliver on our promises to the American people and to advance our conservative principles.”
The endorsement from Trump is expected to bolster Johnson’s re-election bid and solidify his position as a key player in the Republican Party. With the support of the President-elect, Johnson is poised to continue leading the House with strength and determination.
