Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won't run for re-election in battleground Michigan

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 U.S.

Peters made the announcement in an interview with The Detroit News, where 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.”