The super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is investing $9 million into Michigan Republican John James’s bid to oust Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
The Senate Leadership Fund is jumping into the Michigan race with four weeks to go until Election Day with a statewide television and radio advertising campaign that could prove pivotal to the outcome. James trails Peters by an average of 3.8 percentage points in recent public opinion polls, fairing significantly better in Michigan than President Trump, who lags Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 5.2 points.
“The only thing Gary Peters has accomplished over his years in Washington is to keep Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat warm for his successor. That person is going to be John James,” Senate Leadership Fund President Steven Law said in a statement.
Peters is an underwhelming incumbent, and the Michigan Senate race presents the GOP with one of just two opportunities to flip a Democratic seat this November, the other being in Alabama. But Republican officials in Washington have been reluctant to devote resources to the race. The Republican Party’s three-seat Senate majority is being threatened by Democratic challengers in eight states, putting a strain on available advertising dollars.
The Senate Leadership Fund might have been more willing to open its wallet for James because of the generosity of Republican megadonors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. They donated $25 million to the super PAC in August.
James, a black Detroit businessman and military combat veteran, ran for Senate in 2018 but came up short against Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
