Democrats lose another top contender in Michigan's U.S. Senate seat after Whitmer and Buttigieg bow
Another top Democratic contender in Michigan's open Senate seat has begun telling colleagues that she will pass through the game, which narrows the national seat Democrats are increasingly worried about whether they can continue to hold next November, according to three familiar people.
Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a freshman Democrat who won a key battleground seat last year, decided to stay in the House – a decision that has left some Michigan Democrats worried they have a chance to win a top candidate to compete with Republicans who almost won the seat last year.
McDonald Rivet has been seriously considering running, even meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this month, according to two people introducing the meeting. She has been run by influential Michiganians, including former Senator Debbie Stabenow, another best choice for former Senator Pete Buttigieg chose not to run. Senior Democrats, including Schumer herself, are also actively proposing to Gretchen Whitmer, despite her repeated refusal to run for the election, according to people near Whitmer.
“At this moment, each of us should put ourselves in the position that allows us to do the best. So I am excited to be reelection in our highly competitive areas, help win homes, and move an agenda that will boost the working people in our communities,” McDonald Rivet wrote in a statement.
The fate of Michigan Senate seats will be crucial in mid-2026, where Democrats are struggling to cope with key retirements — including Michigan Senator Gary Peters as they try to put enough seats to win over Senate control, facing an already challenging map. Trump has won battlefield status in two of the past three presidential elections – in addition, his own adviser Chris Lacivita is working closely with one of a potential Republican candidate, former Rep. Mike Rogers, who lost to now. Last year, Elissa Slotkin voted less than 20,000.
Representatives from Democrat Hakeem Jeffries from New York, Democrat Haley Stevens from Michigan and Democrat Pete Aguilar from New York were at the U.S. Capitol, February 6, 2025.
Democrats still have a long way to go until the August 2026 primary, but multiple people told the U.S. Limited that the expected four-person field is now set. And, with no clear leader and partisan anxiety, some Democrats are so worried about bruises and expensive internal struggles about who will be their nominee that they encourage the Senate Democratic campaign department to consider intervening.
A senior Democrat who participated in the competition told CNN that he showed Schumer and his political department might need to choose a party to avoid damaging the final nominee, which would be a very messy primary. ”
Rep. Haley Stevens, who plans to launch in late April, plans to announce her campaign in the coming days, according to two people familiar with her plans. Stevens also met with Schumer last month.
Detroit Health Director Abdul El-Sayed is expected to enter the 2018 governor's previous statewide primary election soon. State Senator Mallory McMorrow, who has already competed in the competition, vowed last month not to support Schumer as leader, exacerbating some national Democrats if she wins the competition. Fourth candidate Joe Tate will also be in Michigan State Representative and former NFL player.
So far, National Democrats have said they will not be involved in the primary, although several people closely approached after the game also pointed out that Stevens hired Christie Roberts. (McMorrow hired another leading Democratic strategist: former Buttiegig and Obama assistant Lis Smith.)
Senator Rand Paul, left and Senator Gary Peters at a confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., April 3, 2025 – Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg by Getty Images
Stevens, who served as Obama's top aide in the car rescue team, first came to Congress in 2018 after flipping Republican seats. She then defeated a Democrat in the re-divided match in 2022, proving that she has the fundraising power, thanks in large part to her Ally Aipac for expensive matches.
According to two people familiar with the plan, the AIPAC told Democrats that they intend to spend a lot of money on Stevens. This will be a major move for the pro-Israel group, which usually does not participate in statewide competitions.
Yet even the people near Stevens, who were so long in the national stage, were worried about her privately. They pointed to moments of invitations to review, such as her handling of the controversial town hall of gun violence in 2019 or the now famous floor speech in 2020, where she shouted at the sticks of her party to make a point about Kuvid.
Senator Gary Peters, who evacuates the seat next year, told CNN that he plans to “fully participate” in the election to ensure that Democrats maintain their seats. He does not intend to recognize the candidate in the primary, but instead touts the “very strong bench for young, dynamic people in Michigan” he hopes to run for.
“I definitely want to be sure we have a seat in the hands of the Democrats,” Peters said. He believes anti-Trump sentiment will help his party win the party in 2026.
“I believe we will have a lot of opposition next year. It will be a good year of democracy.”
Additional details have been updated for this story.
Lauren Fox and Veronica Stracqualursi of CNN contributed to the report.
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