Elissa Slotkin announces run for Senate in Michigan End-shutdown

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former CIA analyst who has scored several high-profile victories in a challenging district, said Monday that he would be running for the Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

Ms. Slotkin is the first Democrat to run in what could be a hotly contested primary followed by an all-out fight in the general election, which takes place during a presidential year in a major battleground state.

“We need a new generation of leaders who think differently, work harder and never forget that we are public servants,” Ms. Slotkin said in a announcement video released Monday morning.

In Michigan, a Midwestern industrial state that helped propel Donald J. Trump to the White House in 2016 before narrowly returning to the Democrats in 2020, Slotkin is planning a presentation heavily focused on jobs and economic issues. An aide, who was granted anonymity to discuss the internal strategy, said he expected a campaign message emphasizing American manufacturing, “dignified jobs” and labor protections.

“It seems like we live from crisis to crisis,” Slotkin said in the video. “But there are certain things that should be really simple, like living a middle-class life in the state that invented the middle class.”

He also stressed the importance of “preserving our rights and our democracy so that our children can live their version of the American dream.”

And in a nod to his focus on bipartisanship, he featured images of former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama in his bio-filled announcement video while noting that he had worked “in the White House under two presidents, one Republican and one.” . Democrat.”

His relatively moderate politics, a boon in his House district, may be viewed with skepticism by more progressive voters and activists across the state who might rally in a primary. There is already a public and private clamor in some quarters for a stronger and more diverse primary field, even as several of the state’s highest-profile Democrats have moved on to the races themselves.

Ms. Slotkin, for her part, emphasized in a tweet Monday that “I’ve never taken corporate PAC money, and I’m not going to start now.”

Ms. Slotkin will also be required to introduce herself to black communities in several of the state’s largest cities. She plans to visit cities including Detroit, Grand Rapids and Flint soon, the aide said Friday.

he state primary not expected to be until august next yearand it’s still unclear what the final field will look like or how competitive it will ultimately be.

Several of the most prominent politicians in the state, including the governor. Gretchen Whitmer, Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit and Representative Haley Stevens — have indicated that they do not intend to come forward. Pete Buttigiegthe US Secretary of Transportation whose official residence now he is in michigan, he has said the same thing.

On Friday, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a prominent legislator who went viral last year defending LGBTQ rights, also said that I wouldn’t run.

Many elected officials and other powerful players in the state had been waiting to see if Garlin Gilchrist II, the state representative first The black lieutenant governor would be running, and some wanted to support him.

But on Sunday, hey wrote on Twitter: “Serving our state in Washington, DC would be a great opportunity, but instead I will continue to defend Michigan, right here at home, as Lieutenant Governor. The Governor and I have more work to do. I look forward to working with our next US Senator to achieve this.”

Some Michigan Democrats have emphasized the importance of black representation in the primaries.

“Michigan has this rich pool of qualified African-American candidates, and we have very few to represent us in the Senate,” former Rep. Brenda L. Lawrence, D-Michigan, said in an interview Friday. “We have an opportunity to send a qualified public servant to the Senate, so I really think it’s important. And I think Michigan has an opportunity to deliver on that.”

He pointed at that time to Mr. Gilchrist and Hill Harper, to the actor in the television series “The Good Doctor”, as potentially strong candidates. He also said that he had not “closed the door yet” on his own potential offer.

And there is renewed attention to the intentions of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. She hasn’t ruled out an offer, but previously indicated she was more focused on her current job.

Rep. Debbie Dingell hasn’t categorically ruled out a run, either.

The Republicans have yet to land their own high-profile candidate. Nikki Snyder, a Republican member of the state board of education, was the first to hop. But Rep. John James, Michigan’s first black Republican member of Congress, indicated on friday that he would not look for the seat.

Former Rep. Peter Meijer, who lost his primary after voting to impeach Trump, is perhaps the most prominent potential Republican candidate, though he would clearly have a hard time navigating another primary.

Others who have indicated interest in running or are often mentioned in Republican circles include Rep. Lisa McClain; State Senator Ruth Johnson; Kevin Rinke, who lost a largely self-funded Republican primary campaign for governor last year; and former representative Mike Rogers.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee earlier pledged to “aggressively target this seat.” In a declaration on Monday, Maggie Abboud, a spokeswoman for the committee, called Ms Slotkin a “liberal politician.”

Democrats are betting that as the Michigan GOP moves further to the right (it is now led by an election-denying Trump acolyte), the strongest potential general election candidates such as Meijer would have difficulty passing a primary, paving the way for a far-right candidate who would face significant challenges in a general election.

But many have warned that the strong showing by Democrats in Michigan’s midterms — against several right-wing Republicans — should not be mistaken for a radical shift in the state’s highly competitive politics.

“I don’t know if the state itself has become more Democratic,” Duggan said. “I think it has more to do with the caliber of leaders we’ve had in recent years.”

“This state,” he added, “is very closely divided.”