Rep. Joe Tate in 2022. Photo: Samuel Robinson
Former Michigan House Speaker Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, has dropped out of the race for Michigan’s opening U.S. Senate seat, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The seat being left open by U.S. Sen Gary Peters will bring nationwide attention to Michigan, as Republicans are trying to hold onto their Senate majority.
In a race where the premiere candidates are raising millions of dollars, Tate raised just over $120,000 in the most recent campaign finance reporting period.
“The past three months have been wonderful, just to touch base with Michiganders,” Tate told AP.
“Over the last three months, I traveled across Michigan. … I listened. I asked questions. I shared in their frustration,” Tate said in a statement. “They told me the truth. People aren’t getting ahead like they used to. Our nation is struggling to find its way. I entered this race to fight for those voices. And I’m proud of what we accomplished together in the Legislature for Michigan.”
Tate touted the passage of gun safety laws, the expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect LGBTQ+ Michiganders, the repeal of the state’s 1930s era abortion ban and a pension tax repeal.
“After reflection, I’ve decided to leave the race for U.S. Senate,” he said. “I’m not stepping back. I’m shifting how I serve.”
Tate said he will do everything he can to support Democrats up and down the ballot.
He leaves the race as State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed are actively campaigning. Healthcare professional Rachel Howard is also a Democratic candidate.
McMorrow raised more money than all candidates, reporting a $2.1 million fundraising quarter in the latest campaign finance reporting period. El-Sayed raised $1.8 million, and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens brought in $2.8 million, including a $1.5 million transfer from her House committee. Stevens has the most cash on hand, records show.
Tate, who entered the race two months after the above mentioned candidates, raised with $193,000.
On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, raised $1.5 million including funds from a joint fundraising committee. He is the only Republican to have announced a campaign for the seat.
Michigan hasn’t elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since the 1990s.
