WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the first woman elected to the Senate from Michigan, says she won’t seek reelection and will retire when her fourth term ends in 2025.
In an exclusive interview, the Lansing Democrat told The Detroit News that her decision was inspired by the November election results — seeing the “energy” among young voters and a new generation of Democratic leaders in Michigan made her confident she can "pass the torch" to a Democratic successor.
“I’ve had a wonderful career and honor of breaking barriers and being the first woman to reach various historic milestones, but I never felt it was enough to be a first if there wasn’t a second and third and fourth and so on,” said Stabenow, who serves as the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate leadership.
