Senator Gary Peters’s decision to retire has opened up a marquee Senate race in Michigan, a pre-eminent battleground state that President Trump flipped in November.
The announcement this week from Mr. Peters, a Democrat, set off a flurry of political activity in Michigan — especially among his party’s deep bench of ambitious politicians, some of whom are also considering a run for governor.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the people who might jump into the Senate contest:
Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary
Mr. Buttigieg, the former presidential candidate and transportation secretary, is a relatively recent Michigan transplant, growing up in Indiana and becoming a Michigan resident in 2022, moving to Traverse City.
“I have a lot of humility about having only moved to Michigan a few years ago,” he said in an interview last month, asked at the time about a run for governor. “Although, of course, I did grow up in the neighborhood.”
Mr. Buttigieg is taking a “serious look” at a Senate bid, according to a person with knowledge of his thinking who insisted on Tuesday on anonymity to discuss the private deliberations, adding that he was “exploring all of his options.”
Mr. Buttigieg is also seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
What about Gretchen Whitmer?
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who is term-limited in 2026, quickly and colorfully took herself out of contention for Mr. Peters’s seat on Tuesday.
“Three letters: N.F.W.,” she said on “The View,” using an abbreviation for “no way” with an expletive in the middle.
“I’ve got a lot of things I want to get done as governor. What comes after that? I don’t know yet, I really don’t,” said Ms. Whitmer, who is also seen as a potential presidential candidate.
“I will never totally check out, but I might want to walk the earth for a little while and get reacquainted with my family and myself,” she added.
But her lieutenant governor, Garlin Gilchrist II, who has been looking at a bid for governor, is now also “seriously considering” a run for the Senate, according to two people with knowledge of his thinking.
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association will commit to spending seven figures on Mr. Gilchrist’s behalf if he runs for Senate, Kevin Holst, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.
The state attorney general, Dana Nessel, is also subject to term limits and cannot seek re-election in 2026, and she is mentioned by some Democrats as a potential contender.
A Lineup of Democratic Lawmakers
Plenty of other Democrats, including federal and state legislators, are mulling the race.
Mallory McMorrow, a state senator who won national Democratic acclaim in 2022 with a speech defending liberal values while identifying herself as a “straight, white, Christian, married suburban mom,” said she had not ruled out a run for either governor or the Senate.
“I’m taking a serious look at both the governor and Senate seats, and plan to have many conversations over the coming days to see where I might be best suited to serve Michiganders,” Ms. McMorrow, who lives in suburban Detroit, said in a text message on Tuesday.
House members who have won difficult races in the past are also looking at the Senate race, including the moderate Representatives Haley Stevens, of suburban Detroit, and Hillary Scholten, from the Grand Rapids area.
Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive Wayne County health director who ran unsuccessfully against Ms. Whitmer in the 2018 primary, could also look at a bid.
What About Republicans?
Senator Tim Scott, who is the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had been recruiting for the Michigan seat for weeks ahead of Tuesday’s announcement.
“My phone continues to ring,” he said in an interview.
Among those considering a run is Representative Bill Huizenga, according to a person with knowledge of his thinking. Representative John James and former Representative Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost a Senate race last fall, are also drawing mention as possible candidates.
Tudor Dixon, who ran unsuccessfully against Ms. Whitmer in 2022, is also a potential candidate for Senate or the governor’s race. On Tuesday, she wrote on social media that she was “considering our future very seriously.”
Kevin Rinke, a former auto dealership owner who lost to Ms. Dixon in the primary that year, could also jump into the race.
“One thing is for sure,” he wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Michigan is open for the taking. Stay tuned.”
Reid J. Epstein contributed reporting.