Episode 39: Surprise Michigan Senate Retirement Reaction w/ Melissa Nann Burke of The Detroit News

The Inside Elections Podcast

Nathan Gonzales, Jacob Rubashkin, and Melissa Nann Burke of The Detroit News analyze Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ decision not to run for re-election in the battleground state of Michigan, discuss the candidates who might run for the open seat, and talk about the impact of the Senate race on the race for governor and key House races. Nathan and Jacob also highlight fresh political news in Florida, Ohio, Arizona and South Dakota, as well as Nathan’s struggle between Taco Bell and OrangeTheory.

Twitter profiles:

@nathanlgonzales

@jacobrubashkin

@nannburke

@InsideElections

The Inside Elections podcast analyzes congressional, presidential and gubernatorial races in a nonpartisan, data-driven, and accessible way. With a combination of reporting and data, Inside Elections brings valuable context to complex races. Go to InsideElections.com to subscribe to the bi-weekly newsletter through individual subscriptions and group packages that are tailored for association and corporate PACs.

Referenced articles:

Who else is going to retire from the Senate? [Roll Call]

https://rollcall.com/2025/01/29/senate-retirements-midterm-elections/

Michigan’s Gary Peters will not run for re-election to the Senate. Here’s why [Detroit News]

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/28/michigan-democratic-senator-gary-peters-will-not-run-for-reelection-to-us-senate-seat-2026/77985876007/

The Primary is the Ballgame in Two Florida House Specials [Inside Elections]

https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/the-primary-is-the-ballgame-in-two-florida-house-specials

2026 Senate Ratings (January 9, 2025) [Inside Elections]

https://www.insideelections.com/ratings/senate/2026-senate-ratings-january-9-2025

The Smallest Initial Senate Battleground Ever? [Roll Call]

https://rollcall.com/2025/01/14/senate-initial-battleground-2026-elections/