(WXYZ) — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will not run for U.S. Senate or governor in Michigan next year, he announced on Thursday morning.
In a statement posted to social media, Buttigieg said, "I care deeply about who Michigan will elect as Governor and send to the U.S. Senate next year, but I have decided against competing in either race."
The Senate seat will be left vacant as sitting Sen. Gary Peters announced in January he won't seek reelection in 2026.
The 2026 election will be critical for Michigan – a battleground state. On top of the Senate seat, all three of the state's top positions – governor, attorney general and secretary of state – will be on the ballot, as well as the State House and State Senate.
Buttigieg, 43, is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and was transportation secretary in the Biden Administration. He ran in the 2020 presidential race but ultimately ended his campaign.
He moved to Michigan in 2022 and lives in Traverse City with his family. His husband, Chasten, is from the state.
Buttigieg has been rumored as a top contender for Democrats entering the 2028 presidential race.
"While my own plans don’t include running for office in 2026, I remain intensely focused on consolidating, communicating, and supporting a vision for this alternative," he said in a statement. "The decisions made by elected leaders matter entirely because of how they shape our everyday lives - and the choices made in these years will decide the American people’s access to freedom, security, democracy, and prosperity for the rest of our lifetimes."
