Scoop: Sen. Gary Peters emerges as VP dark horse
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Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) heads to the Senate floor of the Senate for a vote Feb. 11, 2024 in Washington. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Organized labor is leading a quiet push for Vice President Kamala Harris to consider Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) as her running mate, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Michigan is viewed as a must-win battleground state for Democrats, and strong support from unions could make Peters an attractive strategic option for Harris.
- Labor leaders have had discussions with the Harris campaign about including Peters in the vice presidential selection process, one senior Democratic source told Axios.
- A Michigan Democratic Party official told Axios Peters is interested in the nomination and has been working to drum up support.
- And several House Democrats from Michigan suggested to Axios that Peters' name is in the mix.
The big picture: Peters has raised his national profile by leading the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senate Democrats' campaign arm, after winning a competitive Senate seat in 2014.
- He was the only non-incumbent Democrat to win a Senate election that year.
- Peters has won praise from fellow Democrats for helping the party retain its Senate majority in 2022 despite historical headwinds that favored Republicans.
The intrigue: There could be a Michigan-sized hole in Democrats' roster of potential vice presidential contenders now that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has effectively taken herself out of the running.
- Securing the Midwest state's 15 electoral votes will be an important part of any path to victory for Harris in November.
What they're saying: A senior advisor for Peters told Axios that "the Vice President has many strong options for her running mate and we want to respect her process. "
- "I know for sure that one of the reasons his name is in the mix is that labor really wants to have somebody who is undoubtedly pro union, and Gary fits that definition quite well," said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.).
- Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) said she has "definitely heard through the grapevine that Senator Peters is in the mix," saying he would "fantastic" due to his ties with labor and his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
- Wayne County Commissioner and Michigan's 13th District Democratic Chair Jonathan Kinloch told Axios that Peters "would be a great Vice President — he has extensive experience in both state and federal government."
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Rep. Hillary Scholten.
