Chuck Schumer Suffers Massive Defeat As Democrat Senator Debbie Stabenow Announces Retirement In Crucial Seat

Credit: US News

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Michigan Democrat Senator, Debbie Stabenow, 72, has just announced that she will not be seeking re-election in 2024. This deals a huge blow to Chuck Schumer and his efforts to keep the Senate.

The GOP is favored to get the majority in 2024, so Schumer can’t afford to lose any seats.

Stabenow said, “Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate. I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election and will leave the U.S. Senate at the end of my term on January 3, 2025.”

“As part of my own new generation, I was elected to the Ingham County Commission in 1974 at the age of 24. As the youngest and first woman to chair the Board, this began years of breaking barriers, blazing trails, and being the ‘first’ woman to reach historic milestones as an elected official, including the honor of being the first woman from Michigan elected to the U.S. Senate.”

Her announcement has sent Democrats into a scramble to replace her open battleground seat in 2024.

There are at least two prominent Democrats who are considering a run. Representatives Elissa Slotkin and Debbie Dingell are seriously considering filling her open seat.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who moved to Michigan after losing his Democratic nomination for president in 2020, has also been put forward as a possible contender.

We have a great group of possibilities,” Stabenow told POLITICO.

“So I’ll be having lots of conversations as you can imagine with folks. I think we have a wonderful generation of leaders on our side, I don’t see the same kind of strong … team on the Republican side.”

Senate Democrats need to defend 23 seats in 2024, compared to Republicans who just have to defend 10 of their seats. All of the GOP incumbents are running in historically Republican states.

Mike Berg, the director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said that Republicans will “aggressively target” the open Michigan seat.

“Senate Democrats don’t even have a campaign chair yet and they are already dealing with a major retirement,” Berg said.

“We are going to aggressively target this seat in 2024. This could be the first of many Senate Democrats who decide to retire rather than lose.”

Michigan is a swing state and this open Senate race will most certainly be competitive in a swing state.

Stabenow’s retirement puts pressure on Senator Diane Feinstein to retire. She has recently had many calls for her to step down and let younger candidates fill her seat.

Feinstein is the oldest sitting senator at 89. It is widely believed she will not seek a full sixth term. She has been quiet about her plans.

We can be sure about one thing. The 2024 election cycle will be filled with a lot of upheaval, excitement, and surprises.