Former Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan was ousted from office due to his vote in favor of Trump’s impeachment. He only served one term in Congress. Now he is running for Michigan’s open Senate seat. Democrat Debbie Stabenow is retiring.

There are more than a dozen candidates running for the seat that Stabenow held for twenty years. For reasons unknown, Meijer decided to run for the Senate seat though he was kicked out of the House by his district’s voters. How does he plan to win a statewide office when the voters in his own district don’t support him?

I am excited to join the race for the United States Senate! pic.twitter.com/qf2CnCUQNk

— Peter Meijer (@VoteMeijer) November 6, 2023

“My wife and I prayed hard about this race and how we can best serve our state and our nation. We considered every aspect of the campaign, and are confident we have the best chance of taking back this seat for the Republicans and fighting hard for a conservative future,” Meijer said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We are in dark and uncertain times, but we have made it through worse. The challenges are great, but so is our country. If we are to see another great American century, we need leaders who aren’t afraid to be bold, will do the work, and can’t be bought.”

Not to put too fine of a point on things but someone who isn’t “afraid to be bold, will do the work, and can’t be bought” sounds a lot like the guy he voted to impeach. That was Trump’s pitch in 2016 – he can’t be bought, works hard, and makes bold moves. That was Trump’s presidency in a nutshell, until the pandemic. People look back at Trump’s success in office and think it was pretty great, especially given the mess Biden has made of the country and its effect on our lives.

Already in the Republican primary are former Rep. Mike Rogers and former Detroit Police Chief James Craig. In the Democrat primary is Rep. Elissa Slotkin and actor Hill Harper. Under normal circumstances, Meijer would have the name recognition and fundraising ability to make him a top candidate. But, his impeachment vote puts him at a disadvantage he is unlikely to overcome.

The executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Jason Thielman, released a statement that said Meijer “isn’t viable in a primary election, and there’s worry that if Meijer were nominated, the base would not be enthused in the general election.” So, there’s that.

The Michigan senatorial race is an important one. It would be huge if Republicans flipped the seat that Democrats held for decades. The Democrats have a 51-49 majority in the Senate so a win in Michigan would be a substantial one for Republicans. Republicans have been making gains in elections over the last few cycles, causing Democrats to win by much smaller margins than they used to win with. Republicans need to get organized and get on with winning.

If Meijer could get past the GOP primary, he likely would present a formidable challenge to the Democratic nominee. His surname is one of the most recognizable in the state, and his reputation as a moderate Republican could help in a state that’s trended Democratic in recent years.

Republicans have taken just one of Michigan’s last 15 Senate, races but the margin of victory for Democrats has shrunk every election since Democratic Sen. Carl Levin won reelection in 2008 by a 29% margin. Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won reelection over GOP challenger John James by less than 2% in 2020, the closest race in over two decades.

Aided in part by turmoil in the GOP, Democrats won decisive victories in 2022, taking control of both chambers of the state legislature for the first time in decades and maintaining control of the governor’s office. The party also won nearly every competitive U.S. House race in Michigan last year.

Meijer is running in a primary he won’t win. It’s not clear why he is doing it. Maybe he’s bored and looking for a challenge. I hope he doesn’t end up tossing the race to the Democrats.