Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow preparing to enter US Senate race in Michigan, AP sources say

LANSING—Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow is preparing to enter the Democratic primary for an open US Senate seat in the state, multiple people familiar with her plans confirmed on Monday.

First elected to the state Legislature in 2018, McMorrow’s profile surged after her viral 2022 speech on the floor of the Michigan Senate, hailed as a model for countering Republican attacks. Her name quickly emerged as a top contender for the 2026 Senate race after Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced his retirement last week.

Two people who have spoken with McMorrow confirmed her intention to enter the 2026 Democratic primary for Michigan’s US Senate seat. The people insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

A spokesperson for McMorrow said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that McMorrow is “taking a very close look at how she can have the greatest impact for Michiganders.”

McMorrow would become the first Democrat to enter the race to replace Peters, in what will be a closely watched contest next year. Michigan would be a key seat to hold for Democrats while Republicans see an opportunity to expand their 53-47 majority in a state that Donald Trump won in last year’s presidential election.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who moved to Michigan in 2022, is the best-known potential candidate. Buttigieg has ruled out running for governor and is focused on a potential run for the Senate, according to a person familiar with his plans. McMorrow’s entry could complicate things for Buttigieg, who would need to compete in the Democratic primary with another high-profile candidate with stronger ties to Michigan.

Peters’ retirement announcement threw a major curveball into Michigan politics and prompted many candidates, including McMorrow, to initially consider running for either governor or the US Senate. Second-term Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.

On the Republican side, former US Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the state’s 2024 Senate race, is also expected to soon announce another candidacy.

McMorrow has gained a large following since her fiery floor speech in 2022 criticizing a Republican lawmaker who attacked her in a campaign fundraising email and accused her of “grooming” children for supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

“I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” who wants “every kid to feel seen, heard and supported—not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian,” McMorrow said.

The state senator had another attention-grabbing moment online in 2024, when she took an oversized copy of Project 2025, which was created by the Heritage

Foundation as a handbook for the next Republican administration, to the DNC in Chicago. Project 2025, drafted by longtime allies and former officials of the first Trump administration, outlines a dramatic expansion of presidential power and a plan to fire as many as 50,000 government workers to replace them with presidential loyalists.

READ MORE: McMorrow cracks open Project 2025 at DNC