Peter Meijer withdraws from U.S. Senate primary race

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Republican Peter Meijer has withdrawn his name from the U.S. Senate primary ballot, he announced Friday.

The former Congressman announced in November he’d run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, a seat that’s been held by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat who is retiring, for more than two decades.

“Eight months ago I launched our exploratory campaign for Senate because I was deeply concerned about the state of our country – about families struggling with high interest rates and continued inflation, chaos abroad and at home on our border, and the soaring cost of living,” he said in a statement posted to social media. “I got into this race because I believed I had the strongest chance of winning in November to work to right this ship and reverse trendlines that have only gotten worse over these past months.”

He went on to write that the “fundamentals” of the Senate race have changed since he launched the campaign.

“After prayerful consideration, today I withdrew my name from the primary ballot. Without a strong pathway to victory, continuing this campaign only increases the likelihood of a divisive primary that would distract from the essential goal – conservative victories in November,” he wrote.

He thanked his supporters and said he “will continue to work for a better future for this great state and our great nation.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.