Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is eyeing a potential bid to represent Michigan in the US Senate after Democrat Gary Peters announced Tuesday he would not seek a third term, leaving open one of the most competitive seats in the 2026 cycle.

Pete Buttigieg, 43, a former presidential candidate who's viewed as a rising star by many in Democratic politics, had been floated as a potential candidate for governor next year.

Buttigieg, who was mayor of South Bend, Indiana, moved to his husband Chasten’s home state of Michigan in 2020 after losing to President Biden in the Democratic primary that same year.