GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Former West Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer joined a growing field of Republican candidates for Michigan's soon-to-be open U.S. Senate seat on Monday.
Meijer, 35, is an Iraq War veteran and served one term in the U.S. House before losing his primary to a Donald Trump-backed candidate.
“We are in dark and uncertain times, but we have made it through worse. The challenges are great, but so is our country. If we are to see another great American century, we need leaders who aren’t afraid to be bold, will do the work, and can’t be bought," Meijer said in a statement.
He is the latest Republican to join the primary that includes former Rep. Mike Rogers, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and others.
They are running to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is running with a handful of candidates on the Democratic side for the open seat.
Meijer faced criticism from far-right Republicans for voting to impeach then President Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riots. He was targeted by Republicans who censured him.
He was then beaten by John Gibbs, a Trump-backed candidate in the GOP primary in 2022. Gibbs was eventually beaten by Democratic U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten.
Meijer also was one of two Michigan Republicans at the time who voted to protect same-sex marriage in a federal law in 2022. The other was former U.S. Rep. John Upton.
"While I do not believe either Loving v Virginia or Obergefell v Hodges will be overturned, the Supreme Court has asked Congress to do its job and tonight we did just that with the Respect for Marriage Act, which I voted in favor of. The bill is pretty straightforward," Meijer said in a series of tweets at the time. "It says that any marriage between two individuals (regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin) that is performed in one state has to be recognized by state officials in another. No compulsion of non-state officials or changes to current religious protections."
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes released a statement about Meijer's announcement.
The statement said: “Michigan Republicans’ nasty, chaotic Senate primary is getting even messier. Their intra-party fight is guaranteed to leave them with a nominee who is badly damaged and out of step with working families. Meijer has a long record of leaving Michigan families behind, from his support of the 2017 tax giveaway to the wealthy and large corporations – including his own family – to his record of supporting dangerous abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest.”
Craig, one of the other Republican nominees, released a statement saying, "I'll continue to focus on my message of authentic leadership, public safety, and economic opportunity, combined with my proven track record of success throughout my 44-year law enforcement career. Michiganders—and Americans—are sick and tired of sending the same people back to Washington time and time again as nothing changes for the better. I've spent my life protecting and defending the American people, and I'm not finished yet."
