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Peter Meijer, a former Republican congressman who voted to impeach Donald Trump, is seeking a return to Congress.
Meijer, who previously represented the Grand Rapids area in Congress, announced Monday morning he is running for Senate in the battleground state of Michigan. The race is expected to be among the closest Senate elections next November, with Democrats and Republicans believing they have a shot at winning the seat vacated by Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow who announced her retirement earlier this year.
Viewed as having a more centrist voting record on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and gun control, Meijer made national headlines for his critiques of the former president following the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol building, when a group of Trump supporters violently protested the 2020 election results. Trump has claimed, without evidence, the election was stolen from him via widespread voter fraud in swing states, including Michigan.
He was among the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the riot, slamming the former president for "seeking to undermine our constitutional process" in a statement explaining his impeachment vote, writing that he "bears responsibility for inciting the insurrection."
In a statement to Newsweek on Monday morning, Meijer said his disagreement with Trump was "not personal," describing it as "one event and one vote."
"My relationship with President Trump is not 'strained,' and we share a commitment to winning back the Senate for Republicans and making [President] Joe Biden a one term president. Our voters want conservative, constitutionalist candidates with a plan to reverse America's decline. I'm offering that," he added.
Still, Meijer's impeachment vote invoked Trump's ire and may put him at odds with some Republican voters.
Thomas Ivacko, the executive director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek thatMeijer's impeachment vote will make it "significantly more challenging" for him to win the Republican Senate nomination. But his name recognition and fundraising ability are strengths, he said.
"Criticism of Trump is one thing, but a vote to impeach is another, and won't easily be forgotten or forgiven by MAGA voters. So while many politicians can pivot or change their appeal to various factions, MAGA voters would be a very tough sell for Meijer," he said.
Ivacko noted the Michigan GOP's disfunction could also make it more difficult for Meijer and other statewide Republicans to get elected next year. Meanwhile, the presidential election, including Trump's legal affairs and Biden's approval rating, could also affect turnout for downballot races.
"If Trump has been convicted of a serious crime and is somehow still the GOP nominee, I would expect that to help Democrats more than Republicans in a state like Michigan," Ivacko said.
Following Meijer's impeachment vote, Trump endorsed his GOP primary challenger John Gibbs during the 2022 midterm elections. Gibbs ultimately beat Meijer by 3.6 percentage points. In addition, Trump previously included Meijer on a list of Republican lawmakers he "strongly opposed and fought against," and launched attacks on him while campaigning for Gibbs.
Gibbs lost the general election to Democrat Hillary Scholten by 13 points.
Meijer has defended Trump in other aspects, including arguing in a court filing he should be allowed to remain on the ballot in Michigan in 2024, reported The Detroit News on Friday. Critics argued his alleged involvement on January 6 violated the U.S. Constitution, and that he should therefore not be allowed on the ballot, but Meijer warned removing him "would open the floodgates for lawsuits across the political spectrum."
In an interview with conservative outlet Real America's Vote, Meijer said he stands by his impeachment vote, but that he would support Trump's 2024 presidential campaign if he wins the primary election.
Newsweek also reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.
Can Meijer Win Michigan's Senate Race? What Polls Say
Little polling has been conducted on Michigan's Senate race, but the handful of surveys suggest Democrats may have an advantage.
An Emerson College poll conducted from August 1 to 2 among 1,121 registered voters found Meijer trailing Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin by 6 percentage points, winning support from 36 percent of voters to Slotkin's 42 percent.
That poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
The same poll found that most Michigan Republicans remain unsure of who they would vote for in the Republican primary election. Twenty-nine percent of voters said they were "undecided," while 39 percent said they did not want to vote for any of the candidates named in the poll.
Meijer placed second in that poll, winning support from 9 percent of Republican primary voters, while former Representative Mike Rogers led with 12 percent of support.
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About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more