Gary Peters has filled the seat held for 36 years by Carl Levin.
In a hotly contested race that the Republicans had hopes of winning, Sen. Gary Peters defeated challenger John James. CNN and other media outlets called the race.
With about 98 percent of the vote in, Peters won a second term by about 60,000 votes, taking 49.6 percent compared to James' 48.5 percent.
"Michigan, thank you," Peters wrote in a Facebook posting Wednesday night. "It's an honor to serve you for another six years in the U.S. Senate. To all who believed in us, gave your time and effort in our fight: thank you for putting your trust in me."
James was ahead of Peters after the polls closed, and they went back and forth, taking over the lead. Peters finally held on.
For James, a 39-year-old businessman, it was his second try for a Senate seat. In 2018, he lost to Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
In 2018, he emphasized that he was a staunch supporter of President Trump. This time around, he tried to distance himself from Trump, promoting himself as an independent person who was not beholden to the president or Washington.
In 2014, Peters beat Republican Terri Lynn Land by a healthy margin (54.6% to 41.3%) to fill the seat held for 36 years by Carl Levin.
