Amash joins a crowded field of Republicans vying for the battleground Senate seat, which is open because Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) is retiring. The other GOP candidates include another former Michigan congressman, Mike Rogers, who is backed by the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm.
Amash represented Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District from 2011 to 2021. He started as a Republican but emerged as a vocal critic of Trump and left the party in 2019, declaring himself an independent and backing Trump’s first impeachment later that year.
Amash joined the Libertarian Party in 2020, becoming the first Libertarian to serve in Congress. After flirting with a Libertarian presidential run, he decided not to seek reelection to his House seat.
Amash announced an exploratory committee for the Senate seat in January, calling the current contenders “uninspired, unserious, and unprepared” to take tackle the country’s challenges.
Beyond Rogers, the primary also includes former Michigan congressman Peter Meijer and businessman Sandy Pensler. Former Detroit police chief James Craig was also running but dropped out this month.
Meijer has also been critical of Trump, voting for his second impeachment and losing his 2022 reelection campaign to a Trump-backed primary challenger.
