MICHIGAN, USA — Friday morning, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow announced her intent to not seek re-election in 2024.
Stabenow was first elected to the seat in 2000, defeating incumbent Republican Spencer Abraham and becoming the first woman to be elected to the chamber from Michigan.
Stabenow currently serves as the senior senator from the state and as a key member of Democratic Senate leadership as the chair of the Policy and Communications Committee within her caucus.
Following her announcement, Stabenow told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that she felt compelled to relinquish the seat to new leaders.
"To now see from this last election the wonderful new generation of elected officials, the young people who voted and so on, I really just feel it's time for me," Stabenow said. "I want to be part of passing the torch."
Through the day, many of Stabenow's colleagues and supporters publicly congratulated her and reflected on what they see as her groundbreaking tenure.
Junior U.S. Senator from Michigan Gary Peters, who has served with Stabenow since 2015, said he has considered her a mentor and someone with whom he looks forward to collaborating in her final years in office.
"As she finishes out her term, there's still a lot that we're going to work together on it," Peters said. "And I know that she will continue to be the tenacious advocate that she is for Michigan, each and every one of those days."
Governor Gretchen Whitmer was also among those celebrating Stabenow's character and time in office.
"Most of all, she is an incredible friend," Whitmer said. "Debbie is one-of-one. As governor of this great state for the next four years, I look forward to working with her through the end of her term and beyond in however she serves our state next.”
Meanwhile, national Republicans have already begun to eye Stabenow's seat in the key battleground state.
A spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee released a statement saying that the party will be planning to "aggressively target this seat in 2024."
Stabenow vacating the seat has led political experts and analysts to theorize as to how it will affect the political landscape.
"It's very much a toss up on statewide election - both for governor and for the United States Senate," said Dan Koopman, a professor in the political science department at Calvin University. "So, a lot of ambitious politicians in both parties see this opportunity."
Although the election is years away and the circumstances will likely remain unclear for a while, Koopman said the seat may be a prime opportunity for the opposition party.
"I think Republicans have a good chance of flipping," Koopman said. "I mean, it's many lifetimes away between today and November 2024 when the election happens. But you have a re-election of Joe Biden and re-election of presidents tend not to go as well, because you create some enemies and the margin of victory is usually smaller - not always, but usually. And there can already be a Democratic fatigue or fatigue by the voters of Democrats, because they've been in the governor's office for six years."
Although she will not seek re-election, Stabenow has made clear that she intends to serve out the remainder of her current term in office ending in Jan. 2025.
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