Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the first Democrat to announce that she is seeking the 2026 Democratic nomination to run for governor. The primary election will take place in August of next year.
Both the Democratic and Republican primaries are expected to be crowded as the pending retirement of Governor Gretchen Whitmer will leave a wide-open field. The Michigan Constitution does not allow her to run for a third term.
Benson told Michigan Public Radio that efficiency, government transparency and civil rights will be central to her campaign.
“I’m ready to take on anyone – Democrat, Republican, independent – to make sure Michigan is leading the nation on a whole bunch of metrics, including education, and that our rights and freedoms stay intact and that we have a people-driven economy that works for everyone and not just the folks at the top,” she told Michigan Public Radio.
She said her agenda includes a public-private partnership fund for high school job-training apprenticeships and a post-secondary gap-year public service program to help high school graduates earn money for college, job training or starting a business. She said voters are looking for creative problem solvers, regardless of political affiliation.
“They actually want to invest in real solutions to make their lives easier and that’s what I’ve done as secretary of state,” she said. “That’s what I’m going to continue to do and I do believe we can build a broad-based coalition of support to win this office.”
Benson noted she was the top vote-getter among candidates on the statewide ballot in 2022, when Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel were also reelected.
Benson is almost certainly not the last Democrat to join the 2026 field, although almost certainly not the last. Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) was first out of the gate to announce he is seeking the Republican nomination and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an independent.
