Gary Charles Peters Sr. is a prominent figure in American politics and law. Currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Michigan since 2015, he represents the Democratic Party. Prior to his Senate role, Peters served as the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 14th congressional district from 2009 to 2015. This district encompassed a significant portion of eastern Detroit, including areas like the Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Southfield, and Pontiac. Before entering the political arena, Peters served as a military officer. His career reflects a blend of public service across various domains, including military service, law, and political leadership at both the state and national levels.
1950: Reference to 1950 Gubernatorial Race
The 2002 Attorney General race was the closest statewide contest in Michigan since the 1950 gubernatorial race.
December 1, 1958: Birth of Gary Peters
Gary Charles Peters Sr. was born on December 1, 1958.
1976: Graduates from Rochester High School
Gary Peters graduated from Rochester High School in 1976.
1980: Graduates from Alma College
In 1980, Gary Peters graduated magna cum laude with a BA in political science from Alma College.
1980: Starts at Merrill Lynch
Gary Peters began working as an assistant vice president at Merrill Lynch in 1980.
1984: Earns MBA from University of Detroit
Gary Peters earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Detroit in 1984.
1989: Joins Paine Webber
Gary Peters joined Paine Webber as a vice president in 1989.
1990: Unsuccessful Run for Michigan Senate
Gary Peters made an unsuccessful attempt to get elected to the Michigan Senate in 1990.
1991: Begins Service on Rochester Hills City Council
Gary Peters started his service on the Rochester Hills City Council in 1991.
1991: Elected to Rochester Hills City Council
Gary Peters was elected to the Rochester Hills City Council in 1991.
1993: First white congressman to represent a significant portion of Detroit since 1993
In 1993, a significant shift in Detroit's political landscape occurred.
1993: Joins US Navy Reserve
Gary Peters joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1993 at the age of 34.
1993: Ends Service on City Council
In 1993, Gary Peters concluded his service on the Rochester Hills City Council.
November 1994: Elected to Michigan Senate
Gary Peters was elected to the Michigan Senate in November 1994.
1995: Begins Service in Michigan Senate
Gary Peters began representing the 14th district in the Michigan Senate in 1995.
1998: Re-elected to Michigan Senate
Gary Peters was re-elected to the Michigan Senate in 1998.
1998: Peters's Performance in State Senate Campaign
In his 1998 state Senate campaign, Gary Peters performed at or above base in almost all precincts.
November 2002: Narrow Loss in Attorney General Race
In November 2002, Gary Peters narrowly lost the election for Michigan Attorney General to Republican Mike Cox.
2002: Knollenberg's Opponents Underperform
In the 2002 election, Joe Knollenberg's opponents performed below the Democratic base in the district.
2002: Peters's Performance in 9th District Precincts
In the 2002 attorney general race, Gary Peters performed well in a majority of the 9th district's precincts.
2002: Unsuccessful Run for Michigan Attorney General
Gary Peters ran for Michigan Attorney General in 2002 but lost to Republican Mike Cox.
2002: Steps down from Michigan Senate
Gary Peters stepped down from the Michigan Senate in 2002 due to term limits.
April 9, 2003: Appointed Michigan Lottery Commissioner
On April 9, 2003, Jennifer Granholm appointed Gary Peters as the Michigan Lottery commissioner.
2003: Appointed Michigan Lottery Commissioner
In 2003, Gary Peters was appointed as the commissioner of the Michigan Lottery by Governor Jennifer Granholm.
2004: Knollenberg's Opponents Underperform
In the 2004 election, Joe Knollenberg's opponents performed below the Democratic base in the district.
2006: Knollenberg Nearly Defeated
Joe Knollenberg was almost defeated by Nancy Skinner in the 2006 election.
August 7, 2007: Announces Candidacy for US House
On August 7, 2007, Gary Peters formally announced his candidacy for the US House of Representatives against Joe Knollenberg.
2007: Becomes Griffin Endowed Chair at CMU
Gary Peters served as the Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government at Central Michigan University starting in 2007.
2008: Announces Candidacy for Congress
Gary Peters announced his candidacy for Congress in 2008 while working at Central Michigan University.
2008: Leaves Navy Reserve
Gary Peters left the Navy Reserve in 2008, having attained the rank of lieutenant commander.
January 2009: Sworn into First Term and Key Votes
Peters was sworn into his first term in January 2009. During his time in office, he voted in favor of several key pieces of legislation, including the Recovery Act (stimulus), the Affordable Care Act, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and the DREAM Act.
2009: Gary Peters's Congressional Service Begins
Gary Peters began his service as US Representative for Michigan's 14th congressional district in 2009.
2009: Voted for the Affordable Care Act
Gary Peters voted in favor of the Affordable Care Act in 2009 and has since opposed its repeal, supporting a Medicare public option for broader healthcare access.
July 2010: Formation of Spending Cuts Working Group
In July 2010, Peters and three other Democratic legislators established the Spending Cuts and Deficit Reduction Working Group, proposing bills to reduce federal spending, including cuts to the energy budget. Peters expressed frustration with both Democratic and Republican leadership regarding the lack of action on spending cuts.
November 2010: Peters Wins Re-election to the House
Gary Peters defeated multiple challengers to win re-election to the US House of Representatives in November 2010.
2010: Redistricting in Michigan
In 2010, Michigan lost a congressional district due to population decline based on the 2010 census. This led to redistricting, and a significant portion of Peters's 9th district, including his residence, was merged with Sander Levin's 12th district. The new district retained the 9th district number but largely resembled Levin's former district geographically.
2010: Received D rating from the NRA
Gary Peters received a D rating from the National Rifle Association of America in 2010.
September 2011: Decision to run in the 14th district
In September 2011, Peters decided to run for the newly redrawn 14th congressional district. Previously the 13th district, represented by Hansen Clarke, the redrawn district was based in Detroit but included a portion of Peters's old State Senate district. Peters had represented most of the Oakland County portion of the district at some point. Detroit's declining population necessitated incorporating areas outside Wayne County into the district.
November 6, 2011: Support for Occupy Detroit
On November 6, 2011, Peters appeared at Occupy Detroit, expressing solidarity with the movement. He criticized Wall Street speculation and the Republican majority's attempts to dismantle regulations.
2011: Support for United Nations Population Fund
In 2011, Peters was among 118 House Democrats who signed a letter to President Obama advocating support for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This organization delivers health services, including birth control, to women, children, and families in over 150 countries.
August 2012: Victory in Democratic Primary and General Election
In August 2012, Peters won the Democratic primary for the 14th district against Hansen Clarke and Brenda Lawrence. In the general election, he defeated Republican John Hauler with a substantial majority, becoming the first white congressman to represent a significant part of Detroit since 1993.
2013: Redistricting in Michigan
Michigan's 9th congressional district was renumbered as the 14th district in 2013 while Gary Peters was serving as the US Representative.
2013: Named Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus
Peters was appointed as senior whip for the Democratic caucus in 2013.
July 2014: Campaign Support from Senate Majority PAC and Elizabeth Warren
In July 2014, Peters received campaign support from the Senate Majority PAC and Senator Elizabeth Warren. The PAC spent substantially on ads against his opponent, Terri Lynn Land. Warren appeared at a fundraising event for Peters.
2014: Opposition to Michigan abortion coverage law
In 2014, Peters voiced opposition to a Michigan law prohibiting insurers from including abortion coverage in standard health plans.
2014: Elected to the US Senate
Gary Peters was elected to the United States Senate in 2014.
2014: Senate Run
In 2014, Peters ran for the Senate seat vacated by Carl Levin. He received endorsements from both Levin and Senator Debbie Stabenow.
2014: Financial Disclosure
Financial disclosure documents from 2014 showed Gary Peters's assets were between $1.7 million and $6.3 million. His net worth ranked 37th in the Senate.
2015: Gary Peters becomes Junior US Senator
In 2015, Gary Peters began serving as the junior United States Senator from Michigan.
2015: Support for Paycheck Fairness Act and Violence Against Women Act
In 2015, Peters voted for the Violence Against Women Act and supported the Paycheck Fairness Act.
2016: Participated in Gun Control Filibuster
Following the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, Gary Peters participated in the Chris Murphy gun control filibuster.
March 2017: Cosponsorship of Israel Anti-Boycott Act
In March 2017, Peters cosponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S. 720), which criminalized encouraging or participating in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories if protesting Israeli government actions.
November 2017: Cosponsored Bill to Strengthen CFIUS
In November 2017, Gary Peters cosponsored a bill to broaden the federal government's ability to prevent foreign purchases of U.S. firms by strengthening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
2018: Receives Diploma from College of Naval Command and Staff
Gary Peters received a diploma from the College of Naval Command and Staff in 2018.
2018: John E. James's previous Senate run
In 2018, John E. James ran for the Senate against Debbie Stabenow.
January 2019: Introduced Background Check Expansion Act
In January 2019, Gary Peters introduced the Background Check Expansion Act, a bill requiring background checks for most firearm sales and transfers, with some exceptions like transfers between law enforcement and temporary loans for hunting.
2019: Received Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
In 2019, Gary Peters received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and his ancestor, William Garrett, served with George Washington at Valley Forge.
2019: Start of 116th Congress
The 116th Congress commenced in 2019.
November 2020: Reelection to Senate and Personal Abortion Disclosure
In November 2020, Peters won reelection to the Senate against John E. James, who had previously run against Stabenow in 2018. Shortly before the election, Peters publicly shared a personal family experience with abortion, a first for a sitting U.S. senator. His victory was narrower than anticipated.
2020: Received F rating from the NRA
Gary Peters received an F rating from the National Rifle Association of America in 2020.
2020: Re-elected to the US Senate
Gary Peters was re-elected to the US Senate in 2020, defeating John E. James.
2020: Conservative rating
In 2020, Peters was given a 7% lifetime conservative rating by the American Conservative Union.
January 6, 2021: Presence at Capitol during Attack and Call for Trump's Removal
On January 6, 2021, Peters was present at the Capitol for the certification of the Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters attacked. He was evacuated and blamed Trump for the incident, labeling him a "clear and present danger" and calling for his removal via the Twenty-fifth Amendment or impeachment. He also called for investigations into the security and intelligence failures that allowed the breach to occur and oversaw the investigation.
January 28, 2021: Selected as Chair of DSCC
On January 28, 2021, Gary Peters was selected as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
February 4, 2021: Voted Against COVID-19 Financial Support for Undocumented Immigrants
On February 4, 2021, Gary Peters voted against providing COVID-19 pandemic financial support to undocumented immigrants.
March 2021: Ranked Most Effective Senator
In March 2021, Peters was ranked the most effective senator of the 116th Congress (2019-2021) by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, despite being in the minority party.
2022: Chairs DSCC for 2022 Cycle
Gary Peters chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2022 election cycle.
2023: Ranked Second in Bipartisanship
In 2023, the Lugar Center ranked Peters second among senators for bipartisanship.
2024: Selected to Chair DSCC for 2024 Cycle
Gary Peters was selected to chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2024 election cycle.
January 2025: Set to Become Michigan's Senior Senator
Gary Peters is set to become Michigan's senior senator in January 2025 following Debbie Stabenow's retirement.