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 in an interview published Tuesday 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 key battleground 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.
Peters was one of three Democratic senators up for re-election in 2026 that the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) was planning on heavily targeting as they aim to expand their current 53-47 majority in the Senate. The other two Democrats are Sens. Jon Ossoff of Georiga and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
“Gary Peters is reading the room. After spending years ignoring illegal immigration and destroying his state’s auto industry, Michigan is better off without him,” NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina argued in a statement.
Scott emphasized that “we’re committed to giving them a fighter that will stand with President Trump to restore the economic prosperity and security of our country.”
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.
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