On Feb. 25, Nancy Skinner announced that she was ending her congressional campaign and endorsed Democratic rival Gary Peters. Peters is now the leading Democratic candidate to face Joe Knollenberg in November.

“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 told the Royal Oak Daily Tribune. “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.”

Peters thanked Skinner for her decision, which will let him focus on the general election.

“I thank Nancy Skinner for her dedication and service and I look forward to working in a united effort to defeat Joe Knollenberg,” he said. “Whether it’s Knollenberg’s votes to outsource our jobs to other countries, his vote against giving our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan a bonus, all the while voting to raise his own Congressional pay, our community must have new representation in Congress.”

Skinner’s strong performance against Knollenberg in 2006 propelled the Ninth District on to Democratic watch lists for the 2008 election.

“Nancy Skinner’s decision today to withdraw from the 9th Congressional District race demonstrates what a selfless Democrat she is,” said Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. “She ran a great race in 2006 which demonstrated Joe Knollenberg’s vulnerability.”