GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former U.S. Congressman Peter Meijer, who had been vying for the Republican nomination for Michigan's open U.S. Senate, announced on social media Friday he has withdrawn his name from the race.
"The hard reality is the fundamentals of the race have changed significantly since we launched this campaign," Meijer wrote in his statement Friday. "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."
According to reporting from the Associated Press, a spokesperson for Michigan's Secretary of State confirmed Meijer's removal from the August primary ballot.
First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, Meijer represented the state's 3rd Congressional District in West Michigan. He replaced former Rep. Justin Amash, who is currently still in the race for Michigan's open Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Debbie Stabenow.
While in office, Meijer was one of a handful of House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2021 following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Meijer was denied a second term in the House after former Trump administration official and now-former Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs won the Republican primary for the seat in 2022. Gibbs was later defeated by the current incumbent, Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids).
Meijer had been in competition for the Senate seat with multiple candidates which includes Amash as well as former Congressman and House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers.
Trump has thrown his endorsement to Rogers, and statewide polls in recent months have suggested Rogers has the lead amongst the Republican contenders.
Meijer's full statement reads as follows:
"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 will continue to work for a better future for this great state and our great nation.
In Service,
Peter"
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