Ex-Detroit police chief James Craig drops Republican bid for open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan

Source: Associated Press

Ex-Detroit police chief James Craig drops Republican bid for open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI
Updated 9:32 PM EST, February 13, 2024

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig is ending his Republican bid for an open U.S. Senate seat representing Michigan just over four months after launching his campaign, he told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Craig was seen as one of the more high-profile candidates to enter the race when he announced his campaign in October, and he had been angling to win the support of former President Donald Trump, who has often swung GOP primaries with his endorsement.

“This is strictly a business decision,” Craig told AP by phone. “I’m not leaving because I felt like I didn’t have the support. But from a business end, you need funds to run a campaign.”

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Republicans are vying for a shot to replace the U.S. Senate’s third-highest-ranking Democrat, Debbie Stabenow, who announced in January that she would retire after her fourth term. Michigan has long been considered a swing state where Republicans have had success in the past, but the party has not won a U.S. Senate race since 1994.

Craig’s withdrawal thins a crowded GOP field that includes former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer. Detroit-area businessman Sandy Pensler launched his second campaign for the Senate in December.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/michigan-senate-republican-detroit-police-chief-ec5c3f5516472b78599a77c4fc95ad81