Sen. Debbie Stabenow said Thursday she won’t seek reelection in 2024, creating an open Senate seat in the swing state of Michigan.
“Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate,’ Stabenow said in statement. “I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection and will leave the U.S. Senate at the end of my term on January 3, 2025.”
“When my term ends, I intend to begin a new chapter in my life that includes continuing to serve our State outside of elected office while spending precious time with my amazing 96-year-old mom and my wonderful family,’ she added.
The 72-year-old’s decision to leave Congress is in part tied to wanting to give a new generation the opportunity to lead.
“Under the cloud of unprecedented threats to our democracy and our basic freedoms, a record-breaking number of people voted last year in Michigan,’ she said. “Young people showed up like never before. This was a very hopeful sign for our future.”
When elected in 2000, Stabenow became the first woman from Michigan elected to the Senate. She has spent much of her time in Washington focused on boosting her home state’s auto industry. An owner of an electric vehicle, she has pushed for tax credits for the autos.
She is a member of the Democrats’ leadership team and is chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
“For the next two years, I am intensely focused on continuing this important work to improve the lives of Michiganders,’ she said. “This includes leading the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill which determines our nation’s food and agriculture policies. It is also key in protecting our land and water and creating jobs in our rural and urban communities.”