By David Wright, CNN

(CNN) — 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.

Peters announced the decision in an interview with the Detroit News, saying, “I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life.”

Peters’ unexpected exit adds pressure to Democrats, who are already facing a challenging 2026 Senate map. The party is defending competitive seats in Georgia and New Hampshire, with limited opportunities to cut into Republicans’ new Senate majority.

A repeat of the 2024 Senate race in Michigan — which ranked among the most expensive of the cycle, drawing tens of millions of dollars in ad spending — could strain campaign budgets and challenge Democrats’ efforts to recapture the majority.

Peters’ exit also coincides with the end of his time chairing the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a position he had held for two cycles. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who was tapped to lead the DSCC for the 2026 cycle, will be tasked with trying to keeping her predecessor’s seat in Democratic hands.

In the wake of Peters’ surprise announcement, several other prominent Michiganders will be weighing their next moves. Michigan is also host to an open gubernatorial race in 2026, creating crosscurrents with the Senate race that could have national implications.

The state’s outgoing governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, is term-limited, and eyed as a top potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.

Asked on ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday whether she’d consider running for Senate, Whitmer said, “So, to the first question, three letters, NFW – I am not going anywhere. I’ve got two more years on my term. I’ve got a lot of things I want to get done as governor. What comes after that, I don’t know yet. I really don’t.”

And a spokesperson for the governor’s political committee said she’s not running for the seat. “Governor Whitmer is grateful for Senator Peters’ service. She is proudly serving the people of Michigan as governor and is not running for this seat in the senate,” the Fight Like Hell spokesperson told CNN in a statement.

Meanwhile, former Biden administration Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been laying the groundwork for a potential run to succeed Whitmer, having relocated his family to his husband’s hometown of Traverse City, and changed his official residency to Michigan in 2022.

Buttigieg, who elevated his national profile with an unsuccessful 2020 presidential bid, has also kept his name in the mix for the 2028 Democratic nomination. With an open Michigan Senate seat, however, he could redirect his efforts and avoid a messy primary fight with the Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who entered the gubernatorial race last week.

“Pete is exploring all of his options on how he can be helpful and continue to serve. He’s honored to be mentioned for this and he’s taking a serious look,” Chris Meagher, a Buttigieg spokesperson, told CNN.

Several other prominent Michigan Democrats could also run in a competitive Senate primary, including Attorney General Dana Nessel, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.

“I’m taking a very close look at both the Senate seat as well as the Governor’s race and plan to have a number of conversations in the coming days about where I can do the most good for Michiganders,” McMorrow said in a statement to CNN.

Rep. Hillary Scholten, a two-term Democrat, left the door opening to running in a statement on X. “There are many conversations to come, but one thing is clear — we must have a strong leader fight for and win this seat,” she wrote. “We know that Trump won Michigan, but candidates like myself won in tough places as well. We’ve done it before and we can do it again.”

A source familiar with Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist’s thinking told CNN he is “seriously considering” the Senate race, though he is still looking at the governor’s race as well.

Republicans also will be eagerly eyeing Peters’ seat after their close loss in the state’s 2024 Senate race. Freshman Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin narrowly defeated GOP nominee Mike Rogers to hold the seat for Democrats following longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s retirement.

Rogers, a former congressman, could be tempted to run again, having lost to Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes out of more than 5 million cast in 2024.

Rep. Bill Huizenga is among the Republicans weighing a run, according to a person familiar with the matter. The veteran congressman, who has served in the House since 2011, had been discussing a potential run with Senate GOP campaign officials even before Peters announced his decision to retire, the person added.

In addition, Rep. John James, who was the party’s unsuccessful nominee for Senate in 2018 and 2020, is another contender to watch.

As with Democrats, the state’s 2026 gubernatorial contest represents a competing draw for the GOP bench in Michigan, and already, the Republican minority leader in the state Senate, Aric Nesbitt, has launched his bid for governor. But several other Republicans who have expressed interest in the governor’s race could also contend for the Senate seat, including 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon.

CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere, Manu Raju and Arit John contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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