U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, announced Thursday she will not be seeking reelection in 2024 following the end of her term in 2025.
“Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate,” Stabenow said.
In 2000, Stabenow was the first woman from Michigan to be elected to the United States Senate. During her time in the Senate, Stabenow has focused on protecting the Great Lakes, expanding affordable health care and improving the lives of Michigan families. Stabenow is also the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, where she authored and co-authored the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills to strengthen Michigan agriculture. For the remaining two years of her term, Stabenow said she will focus on the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill aimed at determining the nation’s food and agriculture policies.
“(The bill) is also key in protecting our land and water and creating jobs in our rural and urban communities,” Stabenow said.
After her term as senator, Stabenow plans to continue serving Michigan outside of elected office and spending time with her family.
Stabenow’s retirement opens up a seat on the U.S. Senate for Michigan, in which both seats are currently held by the Democratic Party. There is speculation as to who may be strong candidates for the seat from both the Republican and Democratic Parties, including from U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich, and Tudor Dixon, 2022 republican nominee for Michigan governor.
U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich, said Stabenow is a champion for Michigan as a legislator and a leader as Michigan’s first female senator. He pointed out how the two of them worked together to deliver relief to Flint during the water crisis and to lead the expansion of union-made electric vehicles in the state.
“Senator Stabenow’s record of legislative accomplishments is unmatched,” Kildee wrote in a statement. “It has been an honor to partner with her on so many initiatives to better our state.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II also released a statement on Stabenow’s announcement. They focused on Stabenow’s work in Michigan and their expectations of what she will do next.
“(Stabenow) is a fierce protector of our Great Lakes, fought for decades to modernize the Soo Locks and continues to tackle toxic contaminants in drinking water,” Whitmer wrote in the statement. “I look forward to working with her through the end of her term and beyond.”
Gilchrist echoed many of the points Whitmer made. He said Stabenow’s advocacy on mental health and her work in protecting natural resources helped build Michigan into a better state.
“I am grateful for Senator Stabenow’s friendship and leadership,” Gilchrist wrote in the statement. “Let’s build on her legacy and continue working together to make a difference for Michiganders in every community.”
Daily News Reporter Ji Hoon Choi can be reached at jicho@umich.edu.