Meijer announces Senate bid after losing 2022 House reelection to Trump-endorsed primary challenger

Former Michigan Republican Rep. Peter Meijer announced Monday that he is running for U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., more than a year after he lost the GOP primary for his seat to a challenger endorsed by former President Donald Trump. 

Meijer, an heir to the Meijer supermarket chain and one of 10 House Republicans who voted in support of Trump's second impeachment, said that he is confident that he has "the best chance of taking back this seat for the Republicans and fighting hard for a conservative future."

Meijer, an Iraq War veteran and West Point graduate, also said: "We are in dark and uncertain times, but we have made it through worse. The challenges are great, but so is our country. If we are to see another great American century, we need leaders who aren't afraid to be bold, will do the work, and can't be bought."

Because Michigan is a swing state, Republicans are hoping to flip Stabbenow's seat in 2024.

He is entering a crowded GOP primary field, which includes prominent figures such as former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig as well as seven other candidates. 

Meijer lost the 2022 GOP primary in August of that year to John Gibbs, but Gibbs ultimately lost the general election to Democrat Hillary Scholten by nearly 13%, according to data from The New York Times.

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