WASHINGTON, D.C. — With Senator Debbie Stabenow stepping back and two years until the 2024 election, many Senate hopefuls have time to prepare for a run.
This comes as Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who some predicted would run, said she intends to stay in her role for the next four years.
The current balance of power in the senate sits at 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans.
With such a tight margin, political science experts are saying it will be a very closely watched race in 2024.
Western Michigan Professor of Political Science John Clark calls Michigan a 50-50 state, meaning both Democrats and Republicans see this seat as winnable.
Because of that, Clark thinks this will be one of the most competitive races in the country with a lot of money at stake.
He added, the candidates running for President could also have a big impact on the outcome, though he doesn’t give much weight to those announcing an early run for the seat.
“I suspect that some of the more serious candidates are going to take some time to really make sure that they have a good chance of both getting the nomination, but also be lined up for the election itself before they make any kind of formal announcement,” said John Clark, Professor of Political Science at Western Michigan University.
Senator Stabenow said the right person for the role isn’t going to be just any candidate.
“I would say you have to know every part of Michigan from the U.P. and up north, to the great city of Detroit to Lansing, to everything in between, and it's important to listen,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. “It's important to be able to weave together the various interests that people have, she said.
One person potentially considering a run is former Gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon.
A person with knowledge of her plans says she isn’t ruling anything out and remains “laser-focused” on helping Republicans win in 2024.
It’s been eight years since Michigan saw an election for an open U.S. Senate seat when Democrat Gary Peters took over for longtime Senator Carl Levin.
