Days after voting to convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is launching his first TV ad in what could be a tough re-election fight - highlighting his military service and work to help veterans. The ad debuted during the Michigan-Michigan State basketball game Saturday, nine months before the first-term senator's expected general election showdown with Republican challenger John James. James, a Detroit-based businessman, has touted his combat experience as a helicopter pilot in Iraq. Peters' ad is the first by either candidate in a race that's expected to attract vast amounts of outside spending.
Peters airs 1st ad in Senate race; it touts military creds
![U.S. Sen. Gary Peters portrait](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8bb4c98/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1516x1578+0+0/resize/880x916!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwgvu%2Ffiles%2F202002%2Fu.s._sen._gary_peters_0.jpg)
U.S. Senate