Former Rep. Meijer Drops Out of Republican Senate Race

Then-Michigan's 3rd District Congressional Republican candidate Peter Meijer speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Oct. 14, 2020. Carlos Osorio/AP Photo

Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2021, has announced that he’s pulling out of the Republican primary race for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.

Mr. Meijer made the announcement in an April 26 statement, in which he thanked his supporters and said the “hard reality” is that the fundamentals of the race had changed “significantly” since the launch of his campaign six months ago, when he said he was “confident” in his ability to take back for the GOP a soon-to-be vacant Senate seat occupied by a retiring Democrat.

“After prayerful consideration, today I withdrew my name from the primary ballot,” Mr. Meijer said in the statement. “Without a strong pathway to victory, continuing this campaign only increases the likelihood of a diverse primary that would distract from the essential goal—conservative victories in November,” he said.

An unofficial candidate list on the Michigan Secretary of State’s website indicates Mr. Meijer “is withdrawn,” leaving four Republican candidates and three Democrats vying for the seat being vacated by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who announced last year that she wouldn’t be seeking reelection in 2024.

Mr. Meijer, an Iraq War veteran and one-term congressman, previously lost reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 to a Trump-backed challenger after facing blowback from Republicans for voting to impeach the former president over the Jan. 6, 2021 incident at the U.S. Capitol.

Jason Thielman, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, said in a statement that he believes Mr. Meijer lacked broader appeal among the Republican base.

“Peter Meijer isn’t viable in a primary election, and there’s worry that if Meijer were nominated, the base would not be enthused in the general election,” Mr. Thielman told The Hill.

President Trump, who has endorsed Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers (R) for the Senate seat that Mr. Meijer was gunning for, took to social media to express his satisfaction with the withdrawal announcement.

“Congratulations to all Good Republicans!” the former president wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Peter Meijer, one of the 10 Impeachers of your Favorite President, ME, and someone thought of to have a very good political future, has just withdrawn from the Senate Race in the Great State of Michigan.”

“Once he raised his very little and delicate hand to Impeach President Trump, his Political Career was OVER! Last time he lost in the Primary to a nice, but unknown, person, and now he lost to a GREAT Candidate, Mike Rogers, who will easily WIN the Nomination, and go on to WIN the Senate, BIG, in Michigan,” he continued.

“Happily, the 10 Impeachers are just about gone.”

Of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump for the second time, the only ones still left in office are Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.).

“Newhouse, in Washington State, will be next - VOTE FOR JERROD SESSLER!” the former president added in his post, throwing his weight behind U.S. Navy veteran Jerrod Sessler to oust Mr. Newhouse in Washington’s Aug. 6, 2024 primary.

The other eight to vote for impeachment were ​​Mr. Meijer, along with former Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.).

Who’s Left?

President Trump endorsed Mr. Rogers for the Michigan Senate race in March, expressing confidence that the former congressman would be in strong alignment with his America First agenda.

“Mike will work closely with me to enact our America First Policies. He will tirelessly fight to Secure the Border, Stop Inflation, Grow the Economy, Strengthen our Military/Veteran Support, and Protect and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” President Trump said in a post on social media. “Mike Rogers will be a Great and Powerful Senator for Michigan, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”

Mr. Rogers served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army before going on to work for the FBI. He entered the Michigan State Senate in 1995 and later served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2015.

The Trump-endorsed candidate posted on X to wish Mr. Meijer well and to thank him for highlighting some of the biggest issues facing Michiganders, including the border crisis and inflation.

Besides Mr. Rogers, the other Republicans remaining in the Michigan Senate primary are: former Rep. Justin Amash, former GOP congressional candidate Sherry O'Donnell, and entrepreneur Sandy Pensler.

Mr. Amash, who was the only non-Democrat to vote to impeach President Trump in his first impeachment, issued a statement in response to Mr. Meijer’s withdrawal.

“I’ve known Peter Meijer for many years, and I’m honored to count him as a friend,” Mr. Amash said in a post on X. “He’s committed to serving others, and he represented our community in Congress with professionalism and grace.”

On the Democrat side, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is running, as well as actor Hill Harper of Detroit and businessman Nasser Beydoun.

*This article has been updated with information about President Trump’s endorsement of Mr. Sessler.