Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg says he will not run for Debbie Stabenow’s open Michigan Senate seat

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday he will not run for an open US Senate seat in Michigan in 2024, doubling down on plans to remain in his Cabinet-level position rather than seek a elected post.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, will not be running for re-election next year after holding the seat for decades, leaving an opening as the party faces a tough road to maintaining its Senate majority.

“No. I plan to vote in that election as a Michigan resident,” Buttigieg said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” he is willing to continue doing this work, I am proud to be part of this team.

Ms. Stabenow, 72, has held the seat since 2001 and represents one of several battleground states that Democrats will need to defend to maintain their narrow 51-49 majority.

Mr. Buttigieg, who is registered to vote in Michigan, praised his role and the administration as reasons he would not leave her.

“The job I have is, first and foremost, I think it’s the best job in the federal government,” he said. “It can be really difficult and taxing with all the problems the transportation system has faced, but also incredibly rewarding, and I’m proud to be part of an administration that is doing more on transportation than I’ve ever done in my life and then some. . Never since the Eisenhower administration have we been so successful in terms of fixing roads and bridges in this country. Not since Amtrak was created have we done more to improve rail service in this country.”