State Senator Mallory McMorrow of Michigan, a Democrat from the Detroit suburbs, officially entered the U.S. Senate race on Wednesday, marking her as the first prominent candidate in a contest that will crucially influence control of the chamber next fall.
The Senate seat became available following Senator Gary Peters’ announcement of his retirement. This race, taking place in a state that has a history of supporting Democratic senators yet has twice voted for President Trump, is poised to be one of the most closely monitored in the nation next year.
In her announcement video, Ms. McMorrow, 38, emphasized the need for “new leaders,” asserting that “the same people in D.C. who got us into this mess are not going to be the ones to get us out of it.”
Ms. McMorrow gained recognition among Democrats several years ago for championing liberal values while presenting herself as a “straight, white, Christian, married suburban mom.” Her announcement video featured commentary from national pundits discussing her impactful speech. She successfully flipped a Republican-held district in 2018 and became the first woman to serve as State Senate majority whip in Michigan’s history, according to her campaign.
However, she is unlikely to be the only Democratic candidate for long. Potential challengers include Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate from suburban Detroit; Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet, who recently won a competitive House district; and Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive and former health director in Wayne County, who previously ran against now-Governor Gretchen Whitmer in the 2018 primary.
Governor Whitmer, who is term-limited, has ruled out a run for the Senate. Similarly, Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, has also declared he will not participate in the race.
The upcoming primary is expected to be competitive, and the eventual Democratic nominee will face a challenging general election.
Potential Republican candidates include former Representative Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, in the previous November election, and Representative Bill Huizenga. Tudor Dixon, who lost the gubernatorial race against Ms. Whitmer in 2022, and Kevin Rinke, who also lost in the Republican primary, are considering runs for Senate or governor.