By Ben Solis, Michigan Advance
Bernadette Smith, the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party who was elected this year along with current chair and state Sen. Jim Runestad of White Lake, has resigned from her post, the party confirmed on Friday — and with that has come rumors that she is gearing up to run for Michigan’s soon-to-be vacant U.S. Senate seat.
Republican political consultants told Michigan Advance that rumors about Smith resigning and running for the U.S. Senate have been growing for weeks. They said Smith has been informing top GOP members that she plans to run for the seat that will open when Sen. Gary Peters (D–Bloomfield Township) retires next year.
Both Jason Cabel Roe, of Roe Strategic LLC, as well as Dennis Lennox, who has worked in strategic communications over the past decade, as well as for high profile party events, told the Advance that they were privy to that speculation, as well.
A message seeking comment from Smith was not immediately returned.
Runestad confirmed to Michigan Advance on Friday that Smith resigned, but could not say whether that resignation occurred on Thursday or Friday.
Although the party won’t officially select a nominee until the August 2026 primary election, the Republican establishment in Michigan and abroad has been posturing as all in on Mike Rogers, a former mid-Michigan congressman and the only big name in the race. Rogers has also been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
For Smith, who is known by GOP grassroots activists throughout Michigan and was a party leader even before she was chosen by party delegates earlier this year to ascend as co-chair with Runestad, jumping into the race now may not bode well for Rogers, whose campaign has proceeded as if the nomination was secured.
Earlier buzz that U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Holland Township) would also seek the nomination ended in July, when he confirmed he would instead seek reelection to his West Michigan congressional seat.
But there have been some dissenting voices questioning whether grassroots Republicans were ready to bet on Rogers to the degree that national Republicans were.
A message was also left for the Rogers’ campaign, but has yet to be returned.
Adding fuel to the speculation is the fact that Smith’s personal website, which was used during her previous campaign for ethnic vice chair of the Michigan Republican Party and later when she ran with Runestad, has a registered cloned domain name of bernadettesmithforsenate.com.
That URL redirects to Smith’s existing website. The domain was registered on Oct. 22.
No campaign committee information for Smith exists in the Federal Elections Commission candidate database, but new filings could be affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jon King for questions: info@michiganadvance.com.
