...
By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat, has addressed speculation that she plans to run for the state's U.S. Senate seat, which is set to be vacated next year.
Newsweek has contacted McMorrow's office for comment.
Why It Matters
McMorrow, first elected to the Michigan Legislature in 2018, has emerged as a top contender for the state's 2026 Senate race.
Read More on World
In November, President Donald Trump won the battleground state of Michigan, which Joe Biden had won four years prior. Michigan is a critical seat for Democrats, and Republicans will want to expand their 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate by flipping it in the midterms.
...
What To Know
McMorrow is tipped to run for the seat held by fellow Democrat Senator Gary Peters, who has announced that he will not seek a third term in 2026.
While appearing on Stay Tuned With Preet, a podcast hosted by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, to discuss her book, Hate Won't Win: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better Than You Found It, the state senator issued an update on her plans.
In the episode released Monday, McMorrow said there was nothing official to announce yet. However, she reiterated that she was seriously considering running and added that there would be an announcement on it soon.
In February, McMorrow told Newsweek that she was "very seriously exploring that seat."
McMorrow could become the first Democrat to enter the Michigan primary race to replace Peters, as no other candidate has officially launched a campaign.
In 2022, McMorrow's profile surged after she gave a speech in the Michigan Senate. A clip went viral of her hitting back at unsubstantiated claims that Republican state Senator Lana Theis had made in a campaign email, saying McMorrow wanted to "groom and sexualize kindergartners."
McMorrow denounced Theis as pushing a "hollow, hateful scheme" to marginalize her for supporting LGBTQ+ rights in a speech that received more than 1 million views within hours of appearing online and many more millions in the following weeks.
USA Today columnist Michael J. Stern was among the commentators who praised McMorrow's response, calling it "one of the best speeches I've ever seen on what it means to fight hate, disinformation, and false accusations."
In January, the Associated Press said McMorrow intended to enter the Democratic primary, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. Last year, she appeared at the Democratic National Convention holding up an enlarged prop of Republicans' "Project 2025" blueprint.
What People Are Saying
Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow said on Stay Tuned With Preet: "Nothing official to announce just yet, but I have been very seriously exploring running for the U.S. Senate, and there will be an announcement very soon."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen when McMorrow will make an official announcement about her potential Senate campaign.
According to the Associated Press, former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, a Republican who narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in Michigan's 2024 Senate race, is also expected to announce a run.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines