{"id":2599733,"date":"2026-05-07T06:18:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gary-peters-warns-democrats-against-ugly-succession-race\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T06:19:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:19:50","slug":"gary-peters-warns-democrats-against-ugly-succession-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gary-peters-warns-democrats-against-ugly-succession-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Gary Peters warns Democrats against ugly succession race"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgary-peters-warns-democrats-against-ugly-succession-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2599733&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Retiring sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is urging the three Democrats vying to replace him in Michigan\u2019s 2026 Senate race to stay civil as the contest heats up. In interviews, Peters says the primary has become increasingly \u201cchippy,\u201d citing recent disputes among Abdul El Sayed, Rep. Haley Stevens, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow-ranging from accusations about endorsements and political influence to disagreements tied to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-israel-group-opposes-biden-nominee-for-top-defense-post\/\" title=\"Pro-Israel Group Opposes Biden ... for Top Defense Post\">pro-israel lobbying<\/a> and Sayed\u2019s use of Hasan Piker as a campaign surrogate.<\/p>\n<p>Peters notes there\u2019s no clear frontrunner yet, even with debates and ongoing opposition research, and he argues that winnowing down to one nominee is easier when the process doesn\u2019t become overly acrimonious. He also points out that Michigan\u2019s late-in-the-cycle August primary makes it tough for the eventual nominee to prepare for the general election. Peters and Sen. Elissa slotkin plan to remain neutral.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the internal Democratic friction, Peters expresses cautious optimism that Democrats could regain the Senate this fall, while Republicans see Michigan as a realistic target-especially after the closely contested 2024 race that Republicans believe could be swung again. Sen. Steve daines (R-MT) specifically suggests Democratic disarray could help Republicans win the seat.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>Retiring Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gary-peters\/\">Gary Peters<\/a> (D-MI) has a warning for the three Democrats fighting to replace him in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\">Michigan\u2019s<\/a> marquee <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\">Senate race<\/a>: Keep it civil.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, Peters expressed concern that the candidates are getting increasingly \u201cchippy\u201d with one another as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-trump-endorsed-rep-ted-budd-takes-huge-lead-in-north-carolina-senate-primary\/\" title=\"Poll: Trump-Endorsed Rep. Ted Budd Takes Huge Lead in North Carolina ... ...\">primary draws closer<\/a>. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4558355\/massie-kentucky-house-primary-israel-spending\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Massie says he \u2018may lose\u2019 primary due to rival\u2019s pro-Israel cash advantage<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4558366\/trump-focus-south-carolina-indiana-victory\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump sets his gerrymandering sights on South Carolina after Indiana victory<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4557587\/democrats-eye-midterm-opening-in-trump-ballroom-security-funding-figh\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats eye midterm opening in Trump ballroom security funding figh<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>The race has already exposed many of the dividing lines in Democratic politics as Abdul El Sayed, backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), steers the primary left. Sayed is competing against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), seen as the establishment pick in the primary, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is courting both progressive and traditional Democrats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>With no clear front-runner three months out from the primary, Peters is advising Democrats not to resort to low blows to gain momentum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrimaries aren\u2019t necessarily bad,\u201d said Peters. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s an opportunity for folks to get to be known in the state, particularly if they aren\u2019t already known statewide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur hope is that it just doesn\u2019t get too acrimonious,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd unfortunately, a lot of primaries, especially if they\u2019re close, get a little chippy at the end. And I\u2019m encouraging everyone to try to avoid that, but it\u2019s not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The latest flash of bitterness came Wednesday, when McMorrow chided former Sen. Debbie Stabenow for supporting Stevens and suggested her endorsement was orchestrated by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) because he is \u201cfeeling threatened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stevens has declined to say if she supports Schumer today, but his perceived support for her has become part of a larger, anti-establishment critique from her opponents.<\/p>\n<p>At other times, the candidates have sparred over the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups on the Senate race and Sayed\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4517861\/democrats-squirm-left-embraces-streamer-hasan-piker\/\">embrace<\/a> of controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker as a campaign surrogate. <\/p>\n<p>So far, none of the Democrats has been able to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/michigan-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">pull ahead in polling<\/a>, despite multiple debates and a steady <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/05\/03\/politics\/mallory-mcmorrow-tweets-senate-democratic-michigan-primary\">drip<\/a> of opposition research. Both Peters and his Michigan colleague, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), are planning to stay neutral in the race.<\/p>\n<p>Peters had a relatively clear runway the two times he successfully ran for Senate, in 2014 and 2020. But as the former chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, he\u2019s well aware of how <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >contested primaries drain candidate resources<\/a> and leave the eventual nominee bruised entering a general election.<\/p>\n<p>That challenge is especially problematic for Senate leadership in Michigan, where the primary won\u2019t be held until August, relatively late in the election cycle. The timing is one reason why Republicans were so eager to clear the field for former Rep. Mike Rogers, who lost narrowly to Slotkin in 2024 after a contested primary. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a structural problem with Michigan,\u201d Peters said of the primary date. \u201cI\u2019d love to have an earlier primary in Michigan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause it\u2019s tough for the person who emerges to be able to do what they all have to do before the general election,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have all the electoral advantages that come with running in a midterm year with Republicans in full control of Washington. The war in Iran and its impact on energy costs have also become a liability for the GOP.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, Peters expressed cautious optimism that Democrats could retake the Senate this fall \u2014 a task that would require them to hold blue seats such as Michigan and flip four others in GOP territory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wouldn\u2019t have been as optimistic six months ago as I am now, looking at the dynamics,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m fairly confident there\u2019s going to be wind in our sails. I still don\u2019t know how strong that wind is. Right now, I think it\u2019s pretty good \u2026 but we still got a lot of time,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans, for their part, readily acknowledge the headwinds could hurt them in November, but they are viewing Michigan as a realistic pickup opportunity after Rogers lost to Slotkin by a mere 19,000 votes in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4547563\/midterm-countdown-democrats-lead-gop-path-through\/\"><strong>MIDTERM COUNTDOWN: DEMOCRATS LEAD EARLY, BUT GOP SEES A PATH THROUGH THE MAP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who ran Senate Republicans\u2019 campaign arm last cycle, cited the Democratic infighting this cycle in handicapping their chances in November.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Democrats have got a mess on their hands in Michigan,\u201d Daines told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cAnd I realize this environment in a midterm is always more difficult than in a presidential, but I think it bodes well for our chances to pick that seat up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) urges Michigan Senate primary rivals to stay civil as tempers run \u201cchippy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2599734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25274621199107.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32923,34059,49333,37975,54037],"class_list":["post-2599733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democratic-party","tag-election-2024","tag-gary-peters","tag-michigan-politics","tag-succession-race"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25274621199107.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599733"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2599737,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599733\/revisions\/2599737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2599734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2599733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2599733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}