Former Detroit police chief, a Republican, planning Michigan Senate bid: report

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig is planning to enter the race for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Craig joins a list of GOP candidates trying to flip the seat after Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) announced in January that she would not seek reelection.

Craig is positioning himself to earn the support of former President Trump, a source told the AP. Craig supports Trump’s 2024 presidential bid and recently wrote that Trump’s previous term in office “was a proud time to be an American.”

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a three-term member of Congress, leads a field of Democrats looking to grab the open seat. Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) announced a bid to replace Stabenow in early September.

Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) is still considering a campaign after launching an exploratory committee in August.

Craig spent eight years as the Detroit police chief before retiring in 2021 to run for governor.

The state’s 2022 gubernatorial race had nearly a dozen Republican candidates at one point. Candidates needed 15,000 signatures to get on the ballot, but election officials found Craig to have collected phony signatures, ultimately kicking him off the ballot.

Incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) beat Tudor Dixon (R) and five other candidates to keep her seat.

The source, who was granted anonymity by AP, said Craig is expected to announce his candidacy for the Senate next week.