Republican Tudor Dixon praises Trump as she eyes 2026 run for governor or Senate in key battleground

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Business executive, conservative commentator and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon says she's seriously mulling another run for statewide office in 2026 in her home state of Michigan.

But Dixon says she hasn't decided whether she'll bid for the Great Lakes battleground state's open Senate seat or governor's office.

"I want to do the most good for our beloved state. That's why I'm considering a run for governor or U.S. Senate," Dixon announced Tuesday in a statement on social media. "Both races present unique opportunities and different ways to benefit Michigan."

Dixon said that she "will decide soon where my experience and talents would most benefit the state we love so dearly."

THIS TOP DEMOCRAT MAKES A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT IN MICHIGAN'S SENATE RACE

Then-gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon speaks to supporters and volunteers at the Lenawee County GOP office on Nov. 7, 2022, in Adrian, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

In her statement, Dixon praised President Donald Trump, emphasizing that he "is leading the way nationally."

"He is delivering on his promises to secure the border, bring manufacturing jobs home and boost energy independence," she argued. "I am committed to standing with President Trump to deliver on the America First agenda here in Michigan.

THIS REPUBLICAN WAS THE FIRST TO JUMP INTO MICHIGAN'S RACE FOR GOVERNOR

Trump's endorsement of Dixon in the summer of 2022 helped boost her to the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Dixon went on to lose by ten points to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who secured a second term steering Michigan.

Whitmer is now term-limited and prevented from running for re-election in 2026.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is term-limited. Whitmer is seen standing for a Fox News Digital interview, on July 25, 2024, in Durham, New Hampshire. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Among the Republicans already in the race are state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, who announced his bid for governor in January.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are among the Democrats who've already announced.

Detroit's Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan made headlines late last year when he announced his 2026 gubernatorial campaign as an independent.

The Senate race will be a battle to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who announced earlier this year that he wouldn't seek re-election in 2026 to a third six-year term.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers announced at the end of January that he was "strongly considering" a second straight Republican run for the Senate in Michigan.

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Fox News confirmed earlier this month that Rogers is likely to announce his campaign in the coming weeks and that he has hired veteran Republican strategist and Trump's 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita as a senior advisor.

Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers speaks at a campaign rally on Nov. 4, 2024, in Flint, Michigan. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Rogers won the 2024 GOP Senate nomination in Michigan but narrowly lost to Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrats' nominee, in last November's election in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired. Slotkin, who vastly outspent Rogers, edged him by roughly 19,000 votes, or a third of a percentage point.

Besides Dixon, other Republicans considering a Senate run are Rep. John James – who is in his second term in the House and was the GOP Senate nominee in Michigan in 2018 and 2020 – and longtime Rep. Bill Huizenga.

Among Democrats, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, the majority whip in Lansing, is likely to launch a Democratic campaign. McMorrow grabbed national attention in 2022 after delivering a floor speech in the Michigan Senate that was seen as a model for countering GOP attacks.

Among the other Democrats who have expressed interest in running are two-term Michigan Attorney General Dana Nesse and Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Pete Buttigieg last week ruled out a Senate run in his adopted home state of Michigan.

The move by the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, who served four years as transportation secretary in former President Joe Biden's administration, appears to clear the path for a potential 2028 White House bid by Buttigieg.