Radio host and 2006 nominee Nancy Skinner has dropped out of the Democratic primary against former state Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters, who now has a clear path to take on eight-term Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R).

“The truth is that it takes enormous resources to beat an incumbent, and given the way our late primary is structured, a costly primary is a gift to Knollenberg,” Skinner said in a statement. “Gary Peters has been able to amass those resources and support at a level that I have not been able to this point, and to win this seat in November, Democrats will have to consolidate their forces behind him.”

National Democrats recruited Peters, who also had the support of the entire Michigan Democratic Congressional delegation. In all of Knollenberg’s Congressional career, Skinner came closest to defeating him in 2006 by receiving 46 percent of the vote to his 52 percent.
— Shira Toeplitz