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Debbie Stabenow during the Senate Democrats weekly press briefing at the U.S. Capitol
Debbie Stabenow during the Senate Democrats weekly press briefing at the U.S. Capitol, on Jan. 11, 2022. Samuel Corum / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

Eyes on 2024: Stabenow’s exit shakes up Michigan Senate race

Democrats were already facing a daunting Senate map next year.

By and

The Democrats’ 2024 Senate map was already going to be tough, and it got a little bit harder now that Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced Thursday she would not run for re-election

Michigan is one of the five states President Biden won in 2020 by less than 4 percentage points where the Democrats currently have a seat up for re-election next year. And there are three more Democratic seats up in 2024 in states that Trump won. 

While Democrats will now have to defend an open seat in Michigan, they’ll have no shortage of high-profile candidates who might run — including Reps. Elissa Slotkin, Haley Stevens and Debbie Dingell; Lt. Gov. Garlin Glichrist; Attorney General Dana Nessell; and others. 

Republicans could have a crowded field, too. Rep.-elect John James, who lost Senate bids in 2018 and 2020 before winning his House seat in 2022, didn’t rule out a bid in brief comments to The Washington Examiner. Tudor Dixon, the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2022, tweeted about the race too. And Dixon’s top primary rival, businessman Kevin Rinke, could also run. 

Read more about Stabenow’s decision and the burgeoning field on NBCNews.com

In other 2024 news: 

Gallego makes more moves: Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is making high-profile hires as he considers a Senate bid, Politico reports

Casey reveals prostate cancer diagnosis: Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who is up for re-election next year, announced he has prostate cancer but is having surgery and expects to make a full recovery. 

Newsom marks second term: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is using today’s Jan. 6 anniversary as a backdrop to his inauguration for a second term. 

Live free or run for president: Fresh off his latest inauguration, New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu told Fox News “a lot of folks” want him to run for president and took a swipe at Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis by saying that while “we need to push back on woke policy,” that “going after private business is a whole different story.” 

Facebook’s decision: Facebook is facing the end of its two-year deadline to decide whether to allow former President Donald Trump back on the platform, after banning Trump following the Jan. 6 riot at the capitol.