LANSING — State Representative Joe Tate of Detroit has entered the crowded race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2026.
The former House speaker announced his candidacy Sunday in an interview with the Associated Press. Tate joins three other Democrats who have already declared a run for the seat. The seat is currently held by Democrat Gary Peters, who is declining to seek reelection in 2026.
Before entering politics, Tate spent two years in the NFL as an offensive lineman. After his pro football career, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was first elected to state office in 2018, and made history in 2022 when he became the first Black person to lead the Michigan House of Representatives as speaker. His ascension came after Democrats won back the House and Senate and held onto the governor’s office in elections that year, giving the party total legislative control.
During his leadership, Democrats used their trifecta to enact gun control reforms, provide free breakfast and lunch for public school students, expand access to free preschool, repeal the state’s “right to work” law and more, according to MLIVE dot com.
Republicans won back the House in the November 2024 elections, and Tate’s leadership ended in disarray. What was supposed to be the chamber’s final week of business last year ended without any bills being voted on due to attendance issues caused by boycotting Republicans and a rogue Democratic representative.
Tate worked to get representatives back into the chamber but ultimately failed, and hundreds of bills died without a final vote as a result.
Only one Republican has officially declared his candidacy: former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers.