Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the chairwoman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, announced that she will not run for re-election in 2024.

Stabenow’s announcement means that there will be an open seat race in the state’s 2024 Senate election.

“Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate. I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election and will leave the U.S. Senate at the end of my term on January 3, 2025,” Stabenow announced in a statement.

Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate. I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election and will leave the U.S. Senate at the end of my term on January 3, 2025.

Read my full statement:https://t.co/qYJE6lyRJ3 pic.twitter.com/Fq659Aevs0

— Sen. Debbie Stabenow (@SenStabenow) January 5, 2023

“For the next two years, I am intensely focused on continuing this important work to improve the lives of Michiganders. This includes leading the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill which determines our nation’s food and agriculture policies,” she added.

Stabenow won re-election to a fourth term as senator in 2018 by 6.5 points. Republicans will seek to flip the seat but may face a strong challenge based on the 2022 midterm elections.

Michigan Democrats swept the state’s top offices in November, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defeating Republican challenger Tudor Dixon. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel also both defeated their Republican opponents.

Democrats also won majorities in the state House and Senate, marking the first time since 1983 that both chambers were held by the party, according to the Associated Press.

The state’s U.S. House members are currently split, with seven Democrats and seven Republicans. Michigan’s other senator, Gary Peters, is also a Democrat and has served in his role since 2015.

Democrats will defend 23 out of the 33 seats up for election in 2024, including the seats held by Independent Sens. Bernie Sanders (VT), Angus King (ME), and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), while Republicans will only have to defend 10 seats. Sinema, formerly a Democrat, changed her party affiliation to independent back in December.

Stabenow was among Democratic candidates to receive political support from FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried. An aide to the senator stated in December that Stabenow planned to donate the $20,800 received from Bankman-Fried to a local charity following that announcement of his indictment.

After her retirement, Stabenow said she plans to stay involved in her state and focus on family.

“When my term ends, I intend to begin a new chapter in my life that includes continuing to serve our State outside of elected office while spending precious time with my amazing 96-year-old mom and my wonderful family,” she concluded.

The Republican battle over who will inherit Nancy Pelosi’s speaker of the House gavel may be about to get even messier, both behind the scenes and in front of the public, according to Ben Shapiro.

California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who served as House minority leader before the GOP won a majority in November, seemed poised to become the nation’s third-most powerful elected official until a small group of Republicans refused to back him in a series of votes this week. In a Thursday morning tweet thread, Shapiro laid out what is happening behind the scenes, and indicated that there could be division among the 20 Republican holdouts.

“Some, like [Texas Rep.] Chip Roy, have an actual strategy to exact concessions, many of which are good and proper,” the Daily Wire co-founder, best-selling author and podcast host wrote. “Others refuse to vote McCarthy no matter what. They have no plan whatsoever.”

There is a major divide among the 20 or so holdouts against McCarthy. Some, like Chip Roy (R-TX), have an actual strategy to exact concessions, many of which are good and proper. Others refuse to vote McCarthy no matter what. They have no plan whatsoever.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 5, 2023

The holdout group met with McCarthy Wednesday afternoon, but it was not known what possible concessions were discussed. McCarthy has at times shown a willingness to meet the group’s demands but has also bristled at being dictated to by a group at odds with over 200 members of the Republican caucus.

For now, McCarthy needs a majority of the 435-member body’s votes to become speaker. The midterm election gave Republicans a 222-213 majority, meaning McCarthy must get all but four Republicans to support him unless he were to somehow gain the votes of Democrats, who are solidly behind New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

So far, the House has held six votes in two days, with the holdout group first backing Steve Scalise of Louisiana and then Jim Jordan of Ohio, both of whom have put their support behind McCarthy. In the Wednesday votes, the Republican holdouts voted for Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, who initially had supported McCarthy, but then voted for himself.

It is the first time in a century that a vote for House speaker has gone to multiple ballots. In the most recent vote, McCarthy had 201 votes, after Indiana Rep. Victoria Sparks voted “present.” Voting was expected to resume Thursday.

Using their leverage to hold McCarthy’s feet to the fire on issues like runaway spending could work for the holdout group, Shapiro said. But that would mean concessions or assurances from McCarthy could ultimately win the its backing. The problem, Shapiro said, is that a faction of the holdouts appears to refuse to support McCarthy under any circumstances.

“If you want to drain the swamp, you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge of the exercise,” firebrand Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said on Tuesday.

Texas Rep. Chip Roy, (l.), may be open to a deal, according to Shapiro, but Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, (r.) appears to be in the “Never McCarthy” camp. (Getty Images)

Even former President Trump’s plea for the party to coalesce around McCarthy has fallen on deaf ears, despite the fact that many if not most of the holdout group are ardent Trump supporters.

Shapiro noted one possible scenario in which GOP holdouts could force a “wild counterplay” that could backfire on them. It would involve lifting the majority requirement for electing a new speaker.

“That counterplay could take the form of Republicans and Democrats voting to appoint the Speaker by plurality rather than majority,” Shapiro wrote. “If that happens, this puts the ‘Never McCarthy’ group in the position of either voting for McCarthy, or letting Hakeem Jeffries become speaker.”