Peters to head Senate Democratic campaign arm

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) will lead the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the run-up to the midterm elections as Democrats defend their narrow majority.

In a statement Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Peters would protect the party’s incumbents and aim to expand a majority they control thanks to Vice President Harris’s tie-breaking vote.

“With someone like Gary at the helm, who is battle-tested and understands firsthand what it takes to win challenging battleground races, Senate Democrats will be well-positioned to continue to win and get results that will improve the lives of millions of Americans,” Schumer said.

Peters won election to a second term in November, staving off businessman John James (R) in a closer-than-expected contest decided by just 1.7 percentage points.

He will take over from Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who helped Democrats pick up the three seats they needed to create a 50-50 tie in the Senate.

Peters and his counterpart, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott (R-Fla.), will fight over a battlefield of 34 states. Twenty Republican-held seats are up for election in 2022, along with 14 Democratic-held seats.

Following Thursday’s announcement, the NRSC released a statement jokingly endorsing “Jerry” Peters to lead the Democrats’ Senate campaign arm.

“We are thrilled that Senator Peters was chosen for this position. It is an inspiration to uninspiring people everywhere that even Jerry Peters can reach a leadership position in the Democrat Party,” the NRSC said in its statement.

Already, three Republicans have said they will not seek another term: Sens. Pat Toomey (Pa.), Richard Burr (N.C.) and Rob Portman (Ohio). Two of the Senate’s oldest members, Sens. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), have not said whether they will seek another term.

Democrats are likely to make a priority of states like Wisconsin, where Sen. Ron Johnson (R) faces reelection, and Florida, where Sen. Marco Rubio (R) could face a primary challenge. Republicans will focus on Democratic incumbents who won special elections in Arizona and Georgia. Cortez-Masto and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are also likely to face well-financed Republican challengers.