In a move that upends the Democrats’ 2028 field, former small-town mayor and former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a clear signal of his presidential ambitions by opting out of Michigan’s open U.S. Senate race, a seat being vacated by Gary Peters (D-MI). This decision suggests his sights are set on an even higher prize—a post-Trump White House.
His inner circle unanimously agrees that launching back-to-back campaigns for the Senate in 2026 and the presidency two years later would be nearly impossible. By forgoing the Senate run, Buttigieg would be in a stronger position to launch a formidable campaign against better-known rivals, potentially including former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Buttigieg first rose to prominence during his 2020 presidential campaign, following eight years as mayor of South Bend, Indiana—a city of 100,000. Capitalizing on his background as a former Navy intelligence officer, an Afghanistan veteran, and one of the few openly gay elected officials, he quickly captured the imagination of Democratic voters seeking a fresh national perspective. Although strong finishes in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary briefly propelled him to the forefront, a lack of funding forced him to withdraw after finishing fourth in the South Carolina primary. He later endorsed former President Joe Biden, who subsequently appointed him as the nation’s transportation secretary.
David Axelrod, the architect behind former President Barack Obama’s landmark 2008 victory, stated that Buttigieg stands to gain by bypassing the Michigan Senate race and maintaining a low profile in Traverse City, where he relocated with his husband and two children after leaving the White House. This move will give him ample opportunity to engage with everyday Americans outside the Washington, D.C. beltway.
“The hardest decision in politics is to pass on a race you have a very good chance to win,” Axelrod told Politico. “Pete was an A-list recruit and would have been a formidable candidate for the Senate had he chosen to run. But had he won in ’26, it would almost certainly have taken him out of the conversation for ’28. This certainly keeps that option open. Beyond that, I have a sense that he wanted to spend more time with his family, and with people in communities like his, where the conversations and concerns are so different than the ones you hear in the echo chamber of Washington.”
Harris casts the longest shadow over the 2028 field, with ample time to decide her next move. After leaving the White House in January, she was reportedly torn between pursuing Biden’s former role or running for governor of California in 2026—a decision that would immediately put her in the lead. Meanwhile, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her 2024 running mate, is reportedly mulling a campaign of his own, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been maintaining a national profile, a strategy many see as an effort to bolster his credentials for a future presidential run.
