Peter Meijer, a former congressman and scion of the Meijer supermarket chain, announced on Friday that he would be withdrawing from the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate in Michigan.
Meijer shared in a post on Facebook that he lacked a “strong pathway to victory” and that the “fundamentals” of the race have significantly changed since he started his campaign six months ago.
“Continuing this campaign only increases the likelihood of a divisive primary that would distract from the essential goal — conservative victories in November,” Meijer said.
Meijer had hoped to take the vacant seat of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who announced last year that after two decades, she would be retiring.
The onetime congressman lost his House seat during the 2022 midterm elections to a Trump-endorsed candidate. Notably, Meijer voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
Republican strategists questioned Meijer’s chances to win the primary, considering the former President’s strong influence on the Michigan GOP, having won all 39 delegates at the state’s convention. For the Senate seat, Trump endorsed Mike Rogers, who served seven terms in the House and became the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. The Republican ballot will also include Justin Amash, who was the only Republican congressman in favor of Trump’s first impeachment.
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Meijer’s exit from the race comes just five days before Trump’s planned rally in Freeland, Michigan, with Rogers planning to be in attendance.
On the Democratic ticket, three-term Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) is the strongest candidate for the Democratic National Committee. Others running include actor and author Hill Harper and businessman Nasser Beydoun.
