Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2021, has decided to withdraw from the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. Mr. Meijer made the announcement in an April 26 statement, acknowledging the significant change in the race’s dynamics since the launch of his campaign six months ago. He expressed gratitude to his supporters but stated that without a clear path to victory, continuing the campaign would only detract from the goal of securing conservative victories in November.
An unofficial candidate list on the Michigan Secretary of State’s website now reflects Mr. Meijer as withdrawn, leaving four Republican candidates and three Democrats competing for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).
Mr. Meijer, an Iraq War veteran and one-term congressman, faced backlash from Republicans and lost his bid for reelection in 2022 after voting to impeach President Trump over the January 6, 2021, incident at the U.S. Capitol. The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s executive director, Jason Thielman, expressed concerns about Mr. Meijer’s appeal within the Republican base.
President Trump, who endorsed Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers (R) for the Senate seat, praised Mr. Meijer’s withdrawal on social media. He highlighted the impact of Mr. Meijer’s impeachment vote on his political career and expressed confidence in Mike Rogers’ ability to secure the nomination and win the Senate race.
Of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump, only Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.) remain in office. The other eight, including Mr. Meijer, are no longer serving in Congress. President Trump’s endorsement of Mr. Rogers underscores his alignment with the America First agenda.
Besides Mr. Rogers, the remaining Republican candidates in the Michigan Senate primary include former Rep. Justin Amash, former GOP congressional candidate Sherry O’Donnell, and entrepreneur Sandy Pensler. On the Democrat side, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), actor Hill Harper of Detroit, and businessman Nasser Beydoun are also running for the Senate seat. Please provide a sentence or passage for me to rewrite.
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