James Craig suspends U.S. Senate campaign, considers Detroit mayoral bid

Republican James Craig, the former Detroit police chief, is suspending his campaign for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat and weighing running for mayor of Detroit, he told The Detroit News in a Tuesday interview.

Craig said while he viewed himself as the leader for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, he had made a "business decision" because of concerns about the cost of obtaining and verifying the required 15,000 valid petition signatures he needed by April 23 to make the August primary ballot.

"The reality is fundraising is a challenge right now," Craig told The News.

Craig's campaign reported having $27,999 available at the start of 2024. He said his campaign received an estimate that it would cost $350,000 to gather the necessary signatures and ensure they were valid.

In 2022, when Craig was running for Michigan governor, the Michigan Bureau of Elections determined he had failed to submit enough petition signatures to make the primary ballot in that race.

A wave of fraudulent signatures left five GOP candidates for governor, including Craig, off the ballot that year.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Craig's U.S. Senate campaign website was no longer accepting online donations.

Craig's departure from the Senate race leaves former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Brighton, businessman Sandy Pensler of Grosse Pointe Park, former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids Township and Michigan State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder of Dexter as the most well known Republicans seeking their party's nomination.

Craig said the donor class in Washington, D.C., was lining up behind Rogers.

In a statement Tuesday night, Rogers called Craig "a true son of Detroit who built a long and distinguished career in law enforcement that brought real change, safety and security to his hometown."

"I hope that he will continue to be engaged, and I will seek his counsel on how we can work together to bring a brighter and safer future for all Michiganders," Rogers added.

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, holds the Senate seat that will be on the ballot in November. She decided not to seek another term.

On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, is viewed as the frontrunner for her party's nomination.

In an interview Tuesday, Craig said he's now considering running for mayor of Detroit, Michigan's largest city, in 2025.

“That’s a pathway I would certainly take a serious look at,” Craig told The News.

Craig said his passion lies with the city of Detroit and a campaign for mayor is a possibility.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who won a third term in 2021, has previously said he wouldn't decide until sometime in 2024 whether he'll seek a fourth term in 2025.

Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield formed a campaign committee to run for mayor last year.

Meijer described Craig as a "worthy Senate candidate" in a social media post.

Craig would "make a fantastic Mayor of Detroit if he chooses to run," Meijer said.

Craig also said he had a deep appreciation for the volunteers and donors who supported his Senate bid, which launched in October.

cmauger@detroitnews.com

Staff Writers Melissa Nann Burke and Sarah Rahal contributed.