Sen. Gary Peters is back as DSCC chair for 2024 election cycle
Pointing to the Democrats difficult 2024 Senate map, Republicans call the DSCC chair position 'worst job in Washington'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gary Peters of Michigan is returning to his role as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee following the 2022 midterms, which Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is hailing as one of the "best" results for the party in recent history.
Peters announced Monday that he will be working alongside vice-chairs Sens. Tina Smith of Minnesota and Alex Padilla of California.
"Gary is a battle-tested, proven winner whose hard work led Senate Democrats to defy the political odds and to one of our best midterm results in recent history," Schumer said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Under his leadership, we will continue our campaign victories in 2024."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB CASEY ANNOUNCES CANCER DIAGNOSIS
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks at a press conference alongside Sen. Gary Peters on Dec. 07, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"By adding Tina and Alex to our campaign leadership team, we’ll further increase the DSCC’s expertise and capacities," Schumer continued. "I know this is the dream team to strengthen and protect our majority so that Senate Democrats can continue delivering for the American people."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Chuck Schumer, seen here on Nov. 15, is praising Peters for his work in the 2022 midterm elections. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In his own statement, Peters said, "Senate Democrats won big in 2022 by working hard and taking nothing for granted – and that’s the same approach I will bring to our campaigns in 2024."
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"Alongside Tina and Alex, I look forward to protecting and strengthening our Democratic majority, so that we can continue standing up for hard-working Americans in the Senate and fighting back against Republicans’ chaotic, dangerous agenda," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, gavels in during a hearing in Washington, D.C., US, on Nov. 17, 2022. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Republicans were aiming to win back the Senate majority in the 2022 midterm elections. The chamber was split 50/50 between the two major parties, but the Democrats controlled the chamber thanks to the tie breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris through her Constitutional role as president of the Senate.
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The GOP needed a net gain of just one seat to regain the majority they lost two years earlier, but they ended up with a net loss of one seat in the midterms, giving the Democrats a 51-49 majority.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republicans enjoy a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they aim to regain the Senate majority. Democrats are defending 23 of the 34 Senate seats up for grabs, and of their 23 seats, seven are in states won by former President Donald Trump in either 2016 or 2020.
The decision by Peters to steer the DSCC for a second straight cycle is a change of heart for the naval reserve officer, investment advisor and two-term senator.
When asked by NBC News last month if he would stay on for another term as DSCC chair, Peters said "no."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the DSCC's GOP counterpart, charged in a statement that "Schumer strong-armed Gary Peters into chairing the DSCC again."
"Congratulations to Gary Peters on securing the worst job in Washington. He has his work cut out for him!" NRSC Spokeswoman Maggie Abboud argued.