Pete Buttigieg is looking into a potential Senate run in 2026 in Michigan, which was won by President Donald Trump in 2024.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, of Michigan, announced Tuesday that he will not run for a third six-year term in 2026 leaving an open Senate seat.

The decision by Michigan Sen. Gary Peters not to run for a third term set off a political earthquake, igniting buzz about who could get into the race.

The surprise decision Tuesday again complicates for Democrats in Michigan, who will be forced to defend an open seat in the battleground state for the second straight election cycle. Peters led the Democrats’ Senate campaign efforts from 2021 to 2025 and helped the party hold control of the chamber in 2022 before Republicans flipped it last year.

Michigan Democratic Senator Gary Peters' retirement announcement on Tuesday generated speculation about which Democrats could run to replace him in next year's Senate race.

Buttigieg, who was mayor of South Bend, Indiana, moved to his husband Chasten’s home state of Michigan in 2020 after losing to President Biden in the Democratic primary that same year.

Gary Peters' exit creates a highly contested U.S. Senate battleground seat expected to be coveted by both major political parties.

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - A surprising announcement from Michigan Democratic Senator Gary Peters on Tuesday. The Senator said after serving two terms in the Senate, he will not seek re-election in 2026. “It’s time for me to write a few more paragraphs in my current chapter and then turn over the reins,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D) Michigan.

After a competitive Michigan Senate race during the 2024 election, 2026 is now shaping up to be another high-stakes cycle.

The news of Democratic Sen. Gary Peters not seeking reelection in 2026 is already leading to a lot of voters and experts considering what happens next in our state.

SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM) - Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced that he will not seek reelection in 2026 on Tuesday, Jan. 28. “After three terms in the House and two terms in the Senate, I believe now it’s time for me to write a few more paragraphs in my current chapter and then turn over the reins,” Peters said.