Gary Peters won his Michigan Senate seat in 2014 in a challenging election year for Democrats. Two years later, President Trump narrowly carried the state. Before then, Peters first ran for the House of Representatives in 2008, defeating a Republican incumbent and surviving later Republicans to target his House seat.
Republicans have settled on John James, a businessman and Iraq war veteran who came surprisingly close to winning the other Michigan Senate seat in 2018, as their nominee for 2020.
Peters was born in Pontiac, Michigan. He graduated from Rochester High School in Minnesota, earned a BA in Political Science from Alma College in Michigan, an MBA in Finance from the University of Detroit Mercy, a JD from Wayne State University Law School and an MA in Philosophy from Michigan State University. Peters earned his MA, JD and MBA in night classes while working full time.
He has a strong national security record. On Afghanistan, he stated, “In the 17 years since September 11th, the American taxpayer has been asked to bankroll hundreds of billions of dollars of spending on combat, relief, and reconstruction in Afghanistan. What do I tell the people of Flint, Michigan who ask me, ‘Why are my taxes paying for clean water in Kabul when I don’t have clean water in my own home?’
