Former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R) announced today that she will not challenge US Sen. Debbie Stabenow in 2012. This is very good news for our junior Senator.
Three weeks ago former Rep. Pete Hoekstra announced he had come to the same conclusion. Some polls had shown him as the front-running Republican against Stabenow, but I always thought that Land would be the strongest opponent.
Sen. Stabenow already has $3 million in her war chest, which may add to the reluctance of top-tier Republicans to take her on. With Democrats needing to defend 21 out of 33 Senate seats that are up next year, anything that tends to move this seat into the 'safe' column will be a relief to the Democratic Senate Caucus planners. Holding a majority in the Senate will be tough enough as it is, and is absolutely necessary to a productive second term for President Obama.
Land made the announcement this morning on a WJRW talk show, saying:
I spent eight years as Secretary of State. It was a wonderful experience, on the road every day. Really, it's time to take a little break here. My first choice (for Senate) was (former) Congressman Hoekstra. I was really hoping he would run, and I know he took a serious look at it, and talked to a lot of folks about it. He made the decison not to. He called and told me that, and said 'the ball's in your court. I said, 'Thanks a lot, Pete.'