Former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate has dropped out of the 2026 race for the U.S. Senate, a spokesperson confirmed Friday, Aug. 8.
Tate, a state House representative from Detroit, told his team Aug. 7 he wants to focus more on local issues and supporting Democrats, spokesperson Michael Ceraso said. He didn’t announce an endorsement in the race or share his future plans, Ceraso said.
“He was campaigning through joy and enthusiasm until his announcement,” Ceraso said.
Tate’s departure leaves a competitive race on the Democratic side, where announced candidates include U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham; state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, of Ann Arbor, a former Wayne County health director who sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018.
Tate had trailed the field in fundraising, based on recent campaign finance reports.
Tate, of Detroit, who played football for Michigan State University and in the NFL before becoming a Marine and entering politics, announced in May he would run for the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who is stepping down after his second six-year term.
Former Michigan congressman Mike Rogers, who has the endorsement of Republican President Donald Trump, is the only major announced candidate on the Republican side.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former House Speaker Joe Tate drops out of Michigan race for U.S. Senate
Reporting by Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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