Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is taking a serious look at a potential run for an open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan in 2026, two sources familiar with his thinking said Tuesday.
Word that Buttigieg, former U.S. Transportation secretary and former Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, was looking at a run came the same day that U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., announced he would not run for a third six-year term next year.
Peters, 66, said he decided not to run because it was time “to pass the torch.”
“Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve,” one source with knowledge of Buttigieg’s thinking said.
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Another source, who is close to Buttigieg and who spoke anonymously because the former secretary hasn’t made public any specific plans, said, “Pete’s looking into all of his options and figuring out how he can best continue to serve. He’s taking a close look at this.”
Buttigieg has also been mentioned as a potential Michigan gubernatorial candidate. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term limited and set to leave office after next year’s election. The second source said the possibility of a gubernatorial run is also among the options Buttigieg is potentially considering.
No timetable for a decision was suggested by the sources. But what is likely to be widespread interest in the open Senate seat among both Democratic and Republican contenders could lead candidates to announce their intentions early, much as new U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., did two years ago, shortly after former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced she would not run in last year’s election.
Then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks at the IBEW Local 153 training facility in South Bend on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
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Buttigieg, 43, and his spouse, Chasten, moved away from Indiana a few years ago, purchasing a home in Traverse City after Buttigieg was nominated as former President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary.
The pair adopted newborn twins in 2021 and the home is near Chasten Buttigieg’s family.
Speaking to Politico for a story published this month, Buttigieg said he was looking forward to spending more time in his new home state, saying, “If you’re in Washington too long, there’s absolutely a risk that you can begin to care more about the things that this town cares about than some of the things that matter to your neighbors.”
If Buttigieg were to run, win the Democratic nomination and go on to win the Senate seat, he would become the first openly gay man to serve in the U.S. Senate.
IndyStar reporter Hayleigh Colombo contributed to this story.
Contact Todd Spangler at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on X @tsspangler.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Sources: Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg looking at Senate run
