SAUGATUCK, Mich. (AP) — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that he will not seek an open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, a move that leaves the door wide open for him to seek a much bigger role as his party’s next presidential nominee.

The Indiana native established a permanent residence in his husband's Michigan hometown in 2022, and was seen as a favored candidate to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters

Pete Buttigieg announced Thursday he will not run for Michigan’s governorship or the state’s open US Senate seat in 2026, setting up a potential presidential bid in 2028.