Republican Rep. John James of Michigan is opting against a campaign for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Debbie Stabenow in 2024. James filed paperwork Friday to run for reelection to his Detroit-area House seat. James had been considered one of the GOP's most promising potential Senate candidates. James ran unsuccessfully for the Senate twice before, losing to Stabenow in 2018 and to Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in 2020. Stabenow's retirement announcement raised the stakes of the contest in the presidential battleground state and gave new hopes to Republicans as they try to retake control of the Senate in 2024. No high-profile Senate candidate has entered the race.
