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.

Democrats have flipped an Iowa state Senate seat in a district that overwhelmingly voted for President Trump in November. Democrat Mike Zimmer, who has worked in education and serves as the

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced this week he will not seek reelection, setting the stage for a potentially crowded 2026 race.

His unexpected retirement in the battleground states comes in an already difficult Senate cycle for Democrats.

Democrats Tuesday flipped seat in the Iowa Senate in a special election held to replace Republican Sen. Chris Cournoyer, who was named as Iowa's lieutenant governor, but Democrats still will be far outnumbered in the chamber.

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who led the Democrats’ Senate campaign efforts the past two election cycles, has announced he will not seek a third term in 2026, creating a highly contested battleground seat expected to be coveted by both major political parties.

Pete Buttigieg, 43, a former presidential candidate who's viewed as a rising star by many in Democratic politics, had been floated as a potential candidate for governor next year.

Buttigieg is reportedly weighing a run for U.S. Senate in the seat that will be vacated by outgoing Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won’t run for re-election in Michigan in 2026, creating a pivotal open Senate seat in one of the most tightly divided battleground states in the U.S.