Buttigieg Dominates Michigan Senate Democratic Primary Race, Risking Carpetbagger Accusations in Must-Win State

The former transportation secretary and mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, holds a commanding lead in the 2026 Michigan Democratic Senate primary, according to the first polling released of the cycle. In the must-win state, Democrats may be gambling with a carpetbagger. Mr. Buttigieg flirted with a run for Michigan governor next year, when Governor Whitmer will be term-limited out of office. Yet Senator Peters’ decision to retire after just two terms scrambled the plans of ambitious Michigan politicians on both the left and right, and could open a path for Mr. Buttigieg to return to Washington and reignite his presidential prospects. According to new polling reported by Crain’s Detroit Business, Mr. Buttigieg leads the field by a large margin, taking a plurality of the vote in what could be a crowded Democratic primary. The former secretary wins 40 percent of the vote, according to the survey from Blueprint Polling, with the second place candidate, state attorney general Dana Nessel, taking just 16 percent. All other potential candidates — including state senator Mallory McMorrow, who Politico reports will jump in the race — fall into the single digits. No one has officially declared their candidacy yet, though some big names in the state have already said they will not run. Ms. Whitmer will leave public office after 2026 and could emerge as a Democratic presidential frontrunner for 2028 if she gets in that race. The lieutenant governor, Garlin Gilchrist, will also not be a candidate. The secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, has already announced her 2026 campaign for governor. Republicans, meanwhile, are already lining up a strong field of potential candidates who could be top recruits for the GOP next year. The 2024 nominee for Senate, Congressman Mike Rogers, lost to Senator Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes out of more than 5 million cast. “Kristi and I are strongly considering joining the fight once again — to be the ally that President Trump needs and the leader that Michigan deserves. Good news is coming soon,” Mr. Rogers said in an X post on January 30. Another strong candidate for the Republicans could be Congressman John James, a Black Republican Army combat veteran who has survived two elections in a competitive suburban Detroit district. He was the party’s 2020 nominee for Senate, and he narrowly lost that race to Mr. Peters. Next year, there will likely be only five or six competitive Senate races — Georgia, Maine, North Carolina, Michigan, New Hampshire, and possibly Ohio, if the right Democrat gets in. Behind Georgia, Michigan is likely the Republicans’ best pickup opportunity.

Buttigieg Dominates Michigan Senate Democratic Primary Race, Risking Carpetbagger Accusations in Must-Win State

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