Sander Levin Picks Sides in Primary #MI14

Levin endorsed Hobbs in the 14th District primary. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Sander M. Levin endorsed state House Democratic Floor Leader Rudy Hobbs on Wednesday in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 14th District.

“When elected to the U.S. House, Rudy will be a powerful advocate and a tireless fighter for the residents throughout the 14th District in Detroit and Oakland County,” Levin said in a press release. “I look forward to actively supporting his campaign.” Full story

Detroit Democrats Expected to Flood Peters House Seat #MI14 | The Field

Clarke, center, might run again. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Now that Democratic Rep. Gary Peters has officially entered the Michigan Senate race, Detroit-area Democrats have started to eye his House seat for 2014.

Democrats are assured to hold this majority-minority district, which voted for President Barack Obama with more than 80 percent. Party operatives expect a crowded 14th District primary filled with familiar names of local lawmakers and candidates who have run for this or nearby seats before.

Potential candidates include: Full story

Gary Peters Kicks Off Senate Bid #MISEN

Peters will run for Senate. (Shira Toeplitz/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich., officially entered the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin on Wednesday during a visit to his great-great-grandfather’s house in Rochester Hills.

“We’re going to continue the work that I’ve done in the U.S. House, fighting for middle class, fighting and making sure we have jobs and opportunities, growing the economy here in Michigan,” Peters said in his first interview with a national outlet after his announcement.

Democrats have essentially cleared the field for Peters, who represented both suburban and downtown Detroit during his three terms in Congress. CQ Roll Call reported on Monday that Peters would make his Senate announcement in his hometown, which is in politically pivotal Oakland County. Full story

Michigan: Gary Peters Posts Strong Fundraising Ahead of Senate Race Decision

Peters is considering a bid for Senate. (Shira Toeplitz/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich., reported the strongest first-quarter fundraising numbers of all of the federal candidates eyeing retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin’s seat.

Peters, who is considering a Senate bid, raised $373,000 and reported having more than $800,000 in cash on hand at the end of March.

First-quarter fundraising reports for members of Congress were due on Monday. Peters raked in more than his potential GOP Senate rivals — Reps. Mike Rogers and Justin Amash — combined. However, Rogers maintains a large cash-on-hand advantage. Full story

Michigan: Republican Cardiologist Steele Considers Senate Run

Cardiologist Rob Steele is considering a bid for the open Senate seat in Michigan in 2014, according to a local source with direct knowledge of his interest.

Steele is best-known among Republicans for his 2010 bid against longtime Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Mich. During that campaign, Steele picked up former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin’s endorsement and gave national Democrats a brief scare that Dingell could lose his safe Democratic seat. Steele lost by 17 points.

(See also in Roll Call: Johnson Retirement Gives Senate GOP Another Opportunity)

Full story

Michigan: Ronna Romney McDaniel Will Not Run for Senate

Ronna Romney McDaniel, niece of Mitt Romney, told the Detroit News on Tuesday that she will not seek the GOP nomination to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin.

Romney McDaniel considered the race last month after her father, Scott Romney, passed on a run.

But she cited family obligations as her ultimate reason not to run, telling the newspaper, “It’s not the right time to put my kids through something like that.”

Democrats have the advantage in the race for Levin’s seat given Michigan’s recent voting history. Potential Democratic candidates include Debbie Dingell, the wife of longtime Rep. John D. Dingell, and Reps. Gary Peters and Dan Kildee.

On the GOP side, Reps. Mike Rogers and Justin Amash, former GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis and former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land continue to mull runs.

Michigan: Granholm Won’t Run for Open Senate Seat

Granholm will not seek the Senate in 2014. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced Friday via Facebook that she will not run for retiring Sen. Carl Levin’s seat.

“Friends, thanks for all of the encouragement on the Michigan Senate seat, but I’m not going to run,” the Democrat wrote. “I appreciate all of the outreach I’ve received; for several reasons it’s just not right for us (it’s a family decision). My best to all the contenders — Levin’s US Senate seat will stay blue!”

Democrats are in a strong position to keep Levin’s seat given Michigan’s recent voting history. Potential Democratic candidates include Debbie Dingell, the wife of longtime Rep. John D. Dingell, and Reps. Gary Peters and Dan Kildee.

On the GOP side, Reps. Mike Rogers and Justin Amash, former GOP Chair Saul Anuzis and former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land are mulling runs.

Michigan: Scott Romney Not Running for Senate Source Says

Scott Romney will not run for Senate in Michigan, according to a state GOP source. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Scott Romney will not run for the open Michigan Senate seat in 2014, according to a state GOP source who spoke with Romney late on Tuesday.

Romney, the brother of the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, would have kicked off the primary in the strongest position in the field, according to a new automated poll released Tuesday by a GOP firm.

But the corporate attorney has decided to forgo a bid for retiring Sen. Carl Levin’s seat. Democrats have an advantage in the race given the state’s electoral history and, barring a top-tier GOP recruit, the party is in a good position to keep the seat.

The list of potential Democratic candidates includes Debbie Dingell, the wife of longtime Rep. John D. Dingell, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, former Rep. Mark Schauer, Rep. Gary Peters and Rep. Dan Kildee. Full story

Michigan: Granholm, Romney Top Senate Field in New GOP Poll

Granholm is mum so far on a Senate bid. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Attorney Scott Romney and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm lead their respective party fields in the 2014 Michigan Senate race, according to a new automated survey from Harper Polling, a GOP firm.

Fifty-nine percent of Democrats surveyed said they would back Granholm in a primary, while 13 percent backed Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich., 6 percent supported Rep. Dan Kildee, and 23 percent of respondents said they were undecided.

Meanwhile, Romney — the brother of the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee — leads the potential Republican field with 26 percent of those surveyed. Rep. Mike Rogers came in second with 17 percent support, followed by Rep. Justin Amash with 11 percent. Thirty-seven percent said they were unsure of whom they supported.

The Rothenberg Political Report rates the race as “Safe Democratic,” due in part to the state’s recent history of rejecting Republicans statewide, explained Stu Rothenberg in his most recent Roll Call column.

The new numbers come just a couple days after Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., announced his retirement, opening the floodgates of potential candidates interested in his seat.

Here’s a look at the current field of possible contenders:

Democrats: 

• Debbie Dingell, the politically active wife of longtime Rep. John Dingell, is considering a run, CNN reported on Monday. Dingell did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Tuesday.
• Granholm had no comment on the Senate race, according to her spokeswoman. About a month ago, Granholm left her Current TV program. She ended her gubernatorial tenure with low approval ratings but more recently had delivered one of the most rousing speeches at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
• A handful of news reports also mentioned Kildee, a freshman, as potential candidate.
• On Friday, Peters told Detroit Free Press editorial board that he is “going to seriously consider” running.
• Former Rep. Mark Schauer has not issued a public statement on the race, but sources continue to suggest the former one-term congressman as a potential candidate. Schauer did not return a request for comment. Full story

Michigan: Scott Romney Considering Senate Bid

Scott Romney, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s brother, is looking at running for retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin’s seat, according to a Michigan GOP source with first-hand knowledge of his interest.

The Republican is a Harvard-educated corporate attorney at the Detroit-based law firm Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP. He was not immediately available for comment.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Gary Peters told The Detroit Free Press editorial board that he is “going to seriously consider” running. Peters, who ended 2012 with nearly $500,000 in cash on hand, is considered the Democrats’ top recruit.

It has been a topsy-turvy day in Michigan politics, as candidates have floated their names in and out of contention. Levin announced Thursday that he would not seek a seventh term next year.

Democrats begin the open-seat race with a decided advantage. But serious structural problems plague the Michigan Democratic Party. This race, along with the 2014 gubernatorial campaign, will test newly-elected Chairman Lon Johnson.

Michigan: Anuzis Mulling Senate Bid as More Republicans Opt Out

Anuzis said he's been approached to consider running for Senate. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 2:14 p.m. | Twenty-four hours after Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., announced his retirement, we  know more about who is not running to replace him than who is.

Former Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis said he is mulling a run and has been approached about about seeking the seat. “I haven’t had a chance to look at it,” he said in a phone interview.

But while Anuzis is keeping his name in the mix, there are many more Republicans taking their names out of contention, including Rep. Candice S. Miller, who announced Friday that she will not run.

“While I am grateful for the interest people have shown, I will not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014,” the chairwoman of the House Administration Committee said in a statement, according to The Detroit News. “It is my sincere honor to serve the people of Michigan’s 10th District in the United States House of Representatives and in 2014 it is my intention to seek their support for re-election.” Full story

Michigan: Republicans Looking to Primary Reindeer Rancher

Rep.-elect Kerry Bentivolio has not even been sworn in to Congress yet, but Republicans are already discussing a potential primary challenge this cycle.

Bentivolio, a reindeer rancher and veteran, won the GOP nod in August after Rep. Thaddeus McCotter dropped his re-election bid in this district northwest of Detroit.

“I’m sure he’ll get a primary,” said one Michigan Republican who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “He’s new, and people perceive him as untested. It’s a great seat.” Full story

David Axelrod Wagers Mustache on Winning Expanded Battleground States

Top Democratic strategist David Axelrod bet his mustache that President Barack Obama will win Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania next week. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

President Barack Obama’s campaign claimed today that Mitt Romney’s campaign is “flailing” in the final days, with senior strategist David Axelrod betting his mustache that Obama will win the newly minted battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota.

Axelrod and Obama campaign manager Jim Messina on a conference call with reporters dismissed the Romney campaign’s late charge into those states, despite persistent polling leads for Obama, as a sign that it is losing in the existing battlegrounds and is increasingly desperate to expand the map.

“It’s break glass time in Boston,” Axelrod said. “I’ve put my mustache on the line.”

Messina said Democrats are piling up big leads among early voters in key battleground states including Nevada, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado and Florida.
Axelrod dismissed a question about Obama consistently trailing significantly among independents in polling. Full story

Michigan: UAW Endorses Gary Peters

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Gary Peters has won a key endorsement in his race against Rep. Hansen Clarke for Michigan’s 14th district. Members of the United Auto Workers have decided to back Peters in the Member-vs.-Member Democratic primary.

“As a Member of Congress, Gary Peters has shown tremendous leadership and courage by leading the fight for the automotive industry, including his work to secure the auto loans which saved over a million American automotive jobs,” said Chuck Hall, director of UAW Region 1.

Full story

Michigan: SEIU Backs Peters Over Clarke for Detroit Seat

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Gary Peters (D) picked up the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union Michigan State Council on Wednesday.

“With the SEIU joining a growing number of labor unions supporting my candidacy, I am confident that we will be successful in our grassroots campaign to strengthen the economy and help families in the Greater Detroit region,” Peters said in a statement.

Peters faces fellow Democratic Rep. Hansen Clarke and Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence in the Aug. 7 primary. The Detroit-area district strongly favors Democrats, and the winner of this primary will most likely win the seat.