DETROIT — A Michigan politician with statewide reach is being considered in the Kamala Harris veepstakes – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a darling of the Democrats who insists privately and publicly that she’s taken herself out of the veepstakes.
On the contrary, it’s a man few outside of the Wolverine State have ever heard of: Senator Gary Peters.
Axios reports that Peters is a “dark horse” candidate gaining some real traction as a viable candidate due to a push from organized labor to rally around him for VP consideration.
After Harris was elevated to the top of the Democratic ticket on July 21, politicos in Michigan questioned whether a Harris-Whitmer ticket would deliver results.
Two women atop the ticket would not balance the ticket, warned Detroit political consultant Mario Morrow. Former Democrat state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo questioned whether America was ready for a two-woman ticket.
Now, the conversation has moved past Whitmer and onto Peters as Democrats seek to lock up Michigan and its 15 electoral college votes this November.
Peters has won two competitive statewide races in Michigan, a key battleground this November. He’s not up for re-election in the Senate this year, so running on a presidential ticket – and losing – won’t cost him his Senate seat.
“Peters has won praise from fellow Democrats for helping the party retain its Senate majority in 2022 despite historical headwinds that favored Republicans,” Axios reported.
Peters is also considered a top fundraiser among Democrats. He chairs the National Democratic Senatorial Committee, which raises money for Democratic candidates for the Senate.
In 2020, Peters raised more than $52 million, placing him in 14th place for the most money raised among candidates for Senate – that’s two spots ahead of his opponent John James, who is now serving Michiagn in Congress.
With the retirement of his colleague Debbie Stabenow at year’s end, the other Michigan Senate seat is up for grabs this November. In that race, polls show Dem Rep. Elissa Slotkin up a few points over Republican Mike Rogers, who served a House GOP rep from 2001-2015.
While Slotkin and Rogers are the favorites in their respective parties, both face stiff competition in the August 6 primary.
FiveThirtyEight reports that the last two presidential polls in Michigan showed Trump up 3 percentage points over Vice President Harris: 49-46 in one, 44-41 in the other.
If Peters is elected vice president, Whitmer would appoint his replacement in the Senate for the remainder of the term until 2026.
Harris is expected to pick her vice presidential candidate by August 7.
