Former Republican Rep. Peter Meijer announced a bid for Senate in Michigan Monday, joining an already crowded GOP field vying for the role.
“My wife and I prayed hard about this race and how we can best serve our state and our nation. We considered every aspect of the campaign, and are confident we have the best chance of taking back this seat for the Republicans and fighting hard for a conservative future,” he said in a statement.
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“We are in dark and uncertain times, but we have made it through worse,” Meijer added. The challenges are great, but so is our country. If we are to see another great American century, we need leaders who aren’t afraid to be bold, will do the work, and can’t be bought.”
The former congressman is looking to fill the open Senate seat being left by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who announced at the beginning of the year that she wouldn’t be seeking reelection. The Democratic nominee is expected to be Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). However, the Republican field is much more split, especially with Meijer’s entrance. He will face off against several GOP opponents, including former Rep. Mike Rogers and former Detroit police chief James Craig.
Fortunately for Meijer, he enjoys significant name recognition in the state due to his family’s namesake grocery store empire. He is the grandson of the Meijer supermarket chain founder Frederik Meijer. There are 123 stores just in the state of Michigan.
Meijer’s campaign announcement appears to appeal to this name identification, using a logo similar to that of the grocery store. Both logos are red and the respective lowercase “i” and “j” feature dots above them.
While his campaign is sure to benefit from this connection, Meijer could face an uphill battle among Republicans. He is one of 10 Republican congressmembers that voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. Just two of those members are still in Congress. Meijer lost his primary election following the vote to impeach.
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And, because Trump is running for president again in 2024, the two are likely to appear on the same ballot.
Another potential challenge for Meijer comes if Trump chooses to endorse a primary contestant, which almost certainly would not be him.
