Sen. Debbie Stabenow says goodbye to the US Senate after 24 years of service

Debbie Stabenow, the first woman to serve Michigan in the U.S. Senate, is retiring at the end of the year. On Dec. 4, Stabenow bid farewell to the chamber in her final speech.

In her parting message, Stabenow said the moment was bittersweet as she reflected on her 50-year career in public service and expressed gratitude to the people of Michigan for putting their trust in her. She said she wanted to “acknowledge the important moment that we are in as a country. We all know there’s great division promoted by so many that want to gain their own power at America’s expense.”

“Yet we have so much in common,” Stabenow continued. “We all love our children and want the same things for them to be successful. We all want safe communities and a chance to be rewarded for our hard work. We can heal the divide and work together if we just look for that one thing that we can agree on to make our lives better and get it done.”

In January 2023, Stabenow announced she would not seek reelection and would make way for a “new generation of leaders.”

Stabenow started her career in civil service five decades ago, working her way up from local government to the nation’s capital.

She was elected to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners in 1974 at the age of 24. Two years later, she became the youngest and only woman to be elected the board’s chair — the start of a string of barrier-breaking moments that would mark her time in politics.

She was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1979 and served for 12 years before being elected to the state Senate, where she remained until 1994. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996.

In 2000, Stabenow made history when she was the first woman elected to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate. During her 24-year tenure in the Senate, she advocated for a more robust and affordable health care system as she helped to craft the Affordable Care Act and mental health legislation. She also chaired the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2021 to the present, where she led efforts to protect the Great Lakes and support American farmers.

Following her farewell address, Stabenow received an outpouring of praise from Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who thanked her for her dedication to the state and its residents.

“Over her decades of service to our state, she got so much done,” Whitmer said in a statement. “She fought for union workers and family farmers. She tackled pollution in our water and increased access to mental health services. Her impact will be felt for decades to come as we continue moving Michigan forward.”

Stabenow will pass the torch to Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who defeated her Republican opponent Mike Rogers in the Nov. 5 race for Stabenow’s seat.

In a Facebook post, Slotkin wrote that she was moved by Stabenow’s speech, calling her a mentor and a friend.

“Thank you, Senator Debbie Stabenow, for your tireless dedication and service to the state of Michigan and our country,” the post reads. “I and so many other women stand on your shoulders because you have spent 50 years setting the standard, leaving massive shoes I will do my best to fill.”