Peter Meijer has formed a Senate exploratory committee, marking the former House Republican’s first steps toward launching a bid to replace the retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in a key swing state that could determine which party holds control of the upper chamber next year.
Meijer launched the exploratory committee earlier this week, according to a filing with the IRS, which allows him to start raising money and hire campaign staffers while he mulls a Senate bid. If he decides to run, Meijer will face a crowded GOP primary and an even tougher general election should he clinch the party’s nomination.
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“Winning in 2024 is the only way we can stop Biden’s ruinous economic policies and mass weaponization of government,” Meijer told the Detroit News. “It will take someone who can’t be bought and is willing to be bold, and I am considering running for Senate to do my part to get us out of this mess.”
Meijer represented Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District in the House after being elected in 2020 but was later ousted in the GOP primary during the midterm elections. Meijer was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump in 2021, prompting the former president to endorse John Gibbs, who won the GOP primary but later lost to Rep. Hillary Scholten.
If he chooses to run, Meijer would benefit from high name recognition and strong fundraising prowess. However, he would need to run in the backdrop of Trump’s presidential campaign, meaning the primary could be influenced by the former president should he decide to weigh in with an endorsement against Meijer.
Stabenow announced her intent to retire earlier this year, making her the first Democratic incumbent senator to announce her retirement for the next election cycle. Her retirement opens up a seat in Michigan that the Democrat has held since 2001, giving Republicans a key pickup opportunity as Democrats seek to hold on to their slim majority next year.
Stabenow’s retirement has attracted a number of Democrats vying to take her place, including Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). The race is expected to be one of the most competitive races of the 2024 cycle, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
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There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs in the 2024 election cycle. Of these, Democrats must defend 23, compared to just 11 for Republicans, putting the GOP in a strong position to flip some crucial Senate seats that could easily shift the balance of power in the upper chamber.
Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, with the advantage of having Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker vote if needed. As a result, Republicans only need to flip one Senate seat to win the majority should they win back the White House in 2024. If they don’t regain the Oval Office, the party needs to secure two extra Senate seats.
