EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former U.S. Congressman Justin Amash announced Monday he will run for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat.
In January, Amash announced he was forming an exploratory committee to weigh the option of running for Senate. The announcement came about a year after longtime Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) announced that she would be retiring her seat.
A little more than a month after his exploratory announcement, Amash announced his decision to run.
"After thoroughly evaluating all aspects of a potential campaign, I’m convinced that no candidate would be better positioned to win both the Republican primary and the general election. That’s why, today, I’m making it official: I’m joining the race for United States Senate in Michigan," Amash wrote in a release.
While elected to Congress as a Republican, Amash left the party in 2019 to become an independent. Then in 2020, Amash joined the Libertarian party, becoming the first Libertarian to serve in congress.
Calvin University Political Professor Doug Koopman said Amash may have a fighting chance in the U.S. Senate race.
"I think there's a case that there is room for him to be influential. And if there are other credible candidates in there, that it's not unreasonable to think that he could he could win, he could get more votes than anyone else," said Koopman. "There's not a majority for Justin Amash. But there might be enough to win a crowded and very competitive primary."
Amash currently lists his party affiliation on X (formerly known as Twitter) as Libertarian, but announced his run for Senate in the Republican primary in August.
"The past few years away from Congress have given me time to reflect on the experiences that have shaped my life, the principles of liberty that inspire me, and what my tenure in Congress meant to the people of my community," Amash wrote. "I feel an obligation to get back to this work, but the circumstances of this upcoming election give it urgency."
Amash joins a crowded field of over a dozen other Republican candidates in the Senate primary, most notably of which are former U.S. Representatives Peter Meijer and Mike Rogers, as well as current State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder.
Amash's announcement echoes his track record of not always voting along party lines, highlighting what he calls his "independent-minded" approach.
"Regardless of who wins the White House and Congress, the United States will remain deeply polarized. What we need is not a rubber stamp for either party, but an independent-minded senator prepared to challenge anyone and everyone on the people’s behalf—someone focused not on extending federal power so Republicans or Democrats in Washington can achieve their political ends, but on ensuring that Americans have the personal and economic freedom to pursue their own ends," Amash wrote.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes reacted swiftly to Amash's announcement, saying that the GOP primary "will leave them with a badly damaged nominee who is out of touch with Michigan families."
"Amash has an extensive record of leaving Michiganders behind: supporting dangerous abortion bans, vowing to gut health care access, and backing the 2017 tax giveaway that to the wealth and large corporations," Barnes said.
The GOP nominee will go up against whoever wins the Democratic nomination, with candidates including current congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and actor Hill Harper.
Cook Political Report currently rates this race as Lean Democrat.
Michigan's primary election for state, federal and local races takes place on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
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