Washington ― Gary Peters, Michigan’s senior senator and a former congressman, said he won’t seek reelection next year and will retire from the U.S. Senate when his second term ends in January 2027.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters’ announcement that he won’t run for reelection has left Democrats and Republicans across Michigan to reevaluate 2026's races. Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta evaluate the stakes.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won’t run for re-election in Michigan in 2026, creating a pivotal open Senate seat in one of the most tightly divided battleground states in the U.S.