Love leaves Michigan U.S. Senate race, while Amash weighs a run

The huge field for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat is undergoing more changes. 

Former state Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit) announced Thursday that she is suspending her campaign to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) this year. Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who left the GOP in 2019 and became a Libertarian over his criticism for former President Donald Trump, said on social media that he was considering running as a Republican.

“After careful deliberation, consultation, and evaluation, we have made the tough decision to suspend our campaign,” Love in a statement. “This decision was not made lightly. It is no secret that there are multi-million-dollar and celebrity candidates out there with vast resources at their disposal. And while I am the only native Michigander and most experienced, accomplished, and qualified candidate and lawmaker in this race, it was not enough. We simply could no longer compete financially.”

Love, who is Black, also voiced her concern that Michigan has lost Democratic African American representation in the U.S. House in recent years. 

U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) had been the only African American member of the Michigan congressional delegation until her 2022 retirement. Now U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) is the Black member of the delegation today. Neither Detroit-based congressional seat is represented by an African American lawmaker; U.S. Rep. Rashida Tliab (D-Detroit), who is Palestinian American, represents the 12th District and U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit), who is Indian American, is the 13th District’s representative.

“It is also important to note that as a Black woman from southeast Michigan, I believe representation matters. In 1954 Michigan elected Democrat Charles Diggs, Jr. to Congress, the state’s first African American to hold the office,” Love said. “Now, 69 years later, the Democrats have absolutely zero African American representation in Congress. With all the contributions black people have made to the United States of America and Michigan, there should never be a Michigan Democrat delegation without African American representation. It is also imperative that our party remember the minority communities that got us to majority. And let us not forget, southeast Michigan is the economic engine of this state.”

Love announced her U.S. Senate candidacy on May 15. Actor Hill Harper is now the only African American candidate running on the Democratic side, as Pamela Pugh, a Michigan State Board of Education member who is African American, dropped out of the race in November to vie for the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Flint Twp.).

Other Democrats campaigning for the Senate seat are U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing), attorney Zack Burns and businessman Nasser Beydoun are 2024 Democratic candidates for that seat.

When asked by the Advance who Love would support for the seat, her campaign spokesman Michael Kolenc said, “At this time Leslie does not have any other announcements to make.” 

Additionally, up to 12 Republicans could run for the Senate seat, including: former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids); former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Howell); former Detroit Police Chief James Craig; Board of Education member Nikki Snyder; former Berrien County Commissioner Ezra Scott; Alexandria Taylor, an attorney who has previously represented Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo; Sherry O’Donnell, a former 2022 congressional candidate and Michigan state chair for U.S. Term Limits; businessman J.D. Wilson; Sharon Savage, an educator who worked for the Warren Consolidated School District for 42 years; Michael Hoover, who previously worked for Dow Chemical Co.; and businessman Sandy Pensler has also announced his candidacy.   

Now Amash, who hails from Cascade Township near Grand Rapids, posted Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he is considering joining the field.  

“I’ve been humbled in recent weeks by the many people who have urged me to run for Senate in Michigan and to do so by joining the Republican primary,” Amash said. 

Amash voted for Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 for obstructing Congress and abusing his power in relation to his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. Amash decided not to run for reelection in 2020 after facing long odds, but has long looked to ascend in politics, offering to serve as House speaker and flirting with a 2020 presidential run as a Libertarian. 

He was replaced in the 3rd Congressional District by Meijer, who ended up voting for Trump’s second impeachment over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Meijer then lost his 2022 GOP primary and the seat is now held by U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids).

Despite his prior criticism of Trump, Meijer said as he launched his U.S. Senate bid that he would support the former president if he’s the 2024 GOP presidential nominee.

Advance Editor Susan J. Demas contributed to this story.