On July 13, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is not running for re-election this year, endorsed Haley Stevens (D) in the Democratic primary to succeed him in representing Michigan in the U.S. Senate.
Peters is the 28th member of the U.S. Congress who is not running for re-election this year to endorse a candidate in a primary election to succeed them. That's 40.6% of the 69 members of the U.S. Congress who are not running for re-election this year.
In 2024, 17 of the 53 members of the U.S. Congress (32.1%) who did not run for re-election endorsed a candidate in a primary to succeed them.
U.S. Senate
Six of the 11 U.S. senators (54.5%) who are not running for re-election this year have endorsed a candidate in a primary to succeed them. That's more than in 2024, when three of the eight U.S. senators (37.5%) who did not run for re-election endorsed a candidate in a primary to succeed them.
Three of this year's endorsed candidates are Democrats, and three are Republicans. In 2024, two endorsed candidates were Democrats, and one was a Republican.
All six endorsed candidates are running in contested primaries this year. So far this year, two endorsed candidates have won their primaries, and four are running in primaries that have not yet occurred.
In 2024, one endorsed candidate ran in and won a contested primary but lost the general election. The two endorsed candidates who ran in uncontested primaries went on to win their respective general elections.
U.S. House of Representatives
Twenty-two of the 58 U.S. representatives (37.9%) who are not running for re-election this year have endorsed a candidate in a primary to succeed them. That's more than in 2024, when 14 of the 45 U.S. representatives (31.1%) who did not run for re-election endorsed a candidate in a primary to succeed them.
Twelve of this year's endorsed candidates are Democrats, and 10 are Republicans. In 2024, nine endorsed candidates were Democrats, and five were Republicans.
Nineteen endorsed candidates are running in contested primaries this year, and three ran in uncontested primaries. So far this year, 15 endorsed candidates have won their primaries, and four have lost. Three candidates are running in primaries that have not occurred yet.
In 2024, 13 endorsed candidates ran in contested primaries. Five lost in the primaries. The eight who won their contested primaries also won their respective general elections. The one endorsed candidate who ran in an uncontested primary lost the general election.
