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Michigan U.S. Sen. Peters to lead Dem efforts to expand majority

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) photo
Scott Applewhite
/
Associated Press

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who won a tough reelection race in the fall, will lead Democrats’ efforts in 2022 to expand their current razor-thin Senate majority.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced on Thursday that Peters will head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The 62-year-old Peters, who is in his third term, is the first Midwesterner to hold the position in decades.

Next year, Democrats will have chances to pick up seats in states such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina — where incumbents will not seek reelection — and Wisconsin. Democrats also will need to protect incumbents in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and New Hampshire.

“We have a great opportunity in 2022 to defend and expand our Democratic majority so we can keep working to protect our health, rebuild our economy stronger than before and deliver real progress for the American people,” Peters said in a statement.

In November, Peters withstood a stiff challenge from Republican John James, winning by 1.7 percentage points in a state that Joe Biden also carried.

The Senate is split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaker for Democrats.