Ex-Rep. Peter Meijer, who voted to impeach Donald Trump, drops out of Michigan Senate race
(CBS DETROIT) - Former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer has dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat that Sen. Debbie Stabenow will vacate after this year.
Meijer, a Republican, served one term in Congress before being ousted by voters after voting to impeach then-President Donald Trump. Meijer was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after Jan. 6, 2021.
Meijer had joined the race in November 2023.
A Grand Rapids native, Meijer, 36, served as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve in Iraq and is the great-grandson of Hendrik Meijer, who founded the Meijer supercenter chain.
In a statement Friday, Meijer said:
"Eight months ago I launched our exploratory campaign for Senate because I was deeply concerned about the state of our country - about families struggling with high interest rates and continued inflation, chaos abroad and at home on our border, and the soaring cost of living. I got into this race because I believed I had the strongest chance of winning in November to work to right this ship and reverse trendlines that have only gotten worse over these past months.
I am deeply humbled by the support our campaign has received, for those who lent time and resources to get us to this point, and for the thousands of Michiganders I met who inspired me on the campaign trail.
The hard reality is the fundamentals of the race have changed significantly since we launched this campaign. After prayerful consideration, today I withdrew my name from the primary ballot. Without a strong pathway to victory, continuing this campaign only increases the likelihood of a divisive primary that would distract from the essential goal - conservative victories in November.
Thank you to all of our supporters. I am beyond grateful to each of you for believing in our campaign to advance the principles of economic freedom and effective governance. I remain steadfast in my commitment to those principles, and I will continue to work for a better future for this great state and our great nation."
Meijer joins former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Michigan State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder and consulting firm owner J.D. Wilson as fellow Republicans who have withdrawn from the race.
Former Congressmen Justin Amash and Mike Rogers, as well as former Wayne County Commissioner Sandy Pensler and physician Dr. Sherry O'Donnell, are the remaining Republicans seeking the nomination.
Current U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, businessman Nasser Beydoun and actor Hill Harper are in the race for the Democratic nomination.