Michigan lawmaker Mallory McMorrow announces Democratic bid for US Senate

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — – State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced her bid Wednesday for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, becoming the first well-known candidate to officially enter the race for what will undoubtedly be one of 2026’s most competitive and expensive contests.

McMorrow, 38, has distanced herself from national Democrats in a battleground state Trump won, saying a new generation of leaders is needed to block President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the federal government and deliver a compelling message to win back Trump voters.

“I have been so frustrated seeing really a lack of a plan and a lack of a response coming from our current party leadership,” the Democrat said in an interview with The Associated Press.

She said voters are tired of Democrats’ “gimmicks” and was critical of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who reluctantly voted in favor of Republicans’ spending bill last month.

“It’s so lacking the urgency of this moment,” said McMorrow, a second-term state lawmaker who got a speaking role at last year’s Democratic National Convention.

Democrats are desperate to hold onto the Michigan seat next year, while Republicans see an opportunity to expand their 53-47 majority in the Senate.

McMorrow quickly emerged as a possible contender for Democrats after Peters announced in January that he would not seek reelection. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens is also considering a run for the Democratic ticket and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has not ruled it out either.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently said he was no longer exploring a bid for the Senate seat, as did Democratic U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat, announced he is running for governor in 2026, as second-term Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the state’s 2024 Senate race, is expected to run again.

First elected to the state legislature in 2018, McMorrow went viral in 2022 after giving a fiery floor speech criticizing a Republican lawmaker who attacked her in a campaign fundraising email over her support for LGBTQ+ rights and falsely accused her of wanting to “groom” children.

“I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” who wants “every kid to feel seen, heard and supported — not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian,” McMorrow said in the speech.

The lawmaker, who represents a Detroit suburban area and serves in caucus leadership, has sponsored Democratic legislation on gun control and reproductive rights.