The former transportation secretary, who moved to Michigan from Indiana in 2022, had been seen as the most prominent potential candidate in next year’s marquee contest.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is expected to announce he will not run for Michigan’s open Senate seat. During an appearance last month on CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Buttigieg revealed he was “looking” into launching a bid to replace retiring Sen.

Buttigieg’s decision not to run for Michigan’s Senate seat leaves the race wide open to replace Peters, who unexpectedly announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection in 2026. Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow has been preparing a bid, while U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens is also considering a run.