REPORT: Pete Buttigieg To Pass On Running For Senate

The New York Times reports:

Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary, is expected to announce that he will not run for Michigan’s open Senate seat, according to three people briefed on his deliberations, a decision that appears to open the door to a 2028 presidential bid.

Mr. Buttigieg’s decision to skip the 2026 race to succeed Senator Gary Peters, a retiring Democrat, could allow him to pivot more easily to the next contest for the White House — which will effectively kick off the day after the midterm elections, if not sooner.

Mr. Buttigieg, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, was seen as the most prominent potential contender in next year’s marquee Senate contest, a proven fund-raiser with strong name recognition and a devoted fan base in his party. But he also would have been vulnerable to “carpetbagger” attacks, and was plainly aware of that risk.

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