The former Transportation Secretary is reportedly considering a run for one of Michigan’s U.S. Senate seats in 2026.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced this week he will not seek reelection, setting the stage for a potentially crowded 2026 race.

Pete Buttigieg, 43, a former presidential candidate who's viewed as a rising star by many in Democratic politics, had been floated as a potential candidate for governor next year.

The decision by Michigan Sen. Gary Peters not to run for a third term set off a political earthquake, igniting buzz about who could get into the race.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is "taking a serious look" at running for the Michigan senate seat left open by the surprise retirement of Sen. Gary Peters, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Buttigieg would bring his national fundraising network to what is expected to be one of the most expensive Senate races in the country.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, leaving Congress at the end of his second term and opening up a highly competitive battleground Senate seat.

His unexpected retirement in the battleground states comes in an already difficult Senate cycle for Democrats.

Buttigieg is reportedly weighing a run for U.S. Senate in the seat that will be vacated by outgoing Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won’t run for re-election in Michigan in 2026, creating a pivotal open Senate seat in one of the most tightly divided battleground states in the U.S.