DETROIT – Some high-profile names have already launched their campaigns in the race for Michigan’s governor in 2026.
Current Governor Gretchen Whitmer has reached her term limits and is ineligible to run again.
Here’s a look at the candidates running for Whitmer’s position as of Feb. 7, 2025:
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson threw her hat in the ring for the state’s governor race in mid-January.
Benson was elected as Michigan’s Secretary of State in 2018. During her time in this role, she improved the customer service operations of the Secretary of State’s Office by doubling the number of services available online, installing more than 100 self-service stations across the state, and launching mobile offices to bring services to residents who couldn’t easily reach offices or access the internet, according to the department’s website.
In an interview with Local 4’s Jason Colthorp on Jan. 22, 2025, she said she decided to run for governor to improve the education system in the state.
She was the first candidate in the 2026 gubernatorial race to run as a Democrat.
Read more –> Why Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State, is running for governor
Chris Swanson (D)
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson recently announced his bid for governor as a Democratic candidate.
Elected in 2019, he helped create the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) in 2019, when he was first appointed sheriff, aiming to arrest criminals involved in human trafficking and sexual assault.
In September 2020, he also helped create Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education (IGNITE), which is a program that helps inmates find full-time employment once released and helps improve reading, comprehension, and math skills while they are in jail.
He gained national attention in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd when he joined a group of Black Lives Matter protesters in a march in Flint.
Read more –> Chris Swanson, prominent sheriff and Democrat, announces run for Michigan governor
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt announced in early January his bid for governor.
He was elected to serve as a state senator in 2018. He currently serves Michigan’s 20th Senate District, which represents portions of Berrien, Van Buren, Allegan and Kent counties.
According to his campaign website, he aims to “Make Michigan Great Once Again” as governor and claims a conservative leadership is needed to restore the state’s government that puts Michigan families and workers first.
The Lawton native earned his economics degree from Hillsdale College and later earned his master’s in international business.
As of February 2025, he is the only candidate running in the Republican Party for Michigan’s governor so far.
Read more –> Michigan Senate Republican Leader Nesbitt launches run for governor
Mike Duggan (I)
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan entered the governor’s race as an Independent.
“I’m not running to be the Democrats’ governor or the Republicans’ governor; I’m running to be your governor,” Duggan said in his announcement in December 2024.
The once-Democrat is credited by many for leading Detroit out of bankruptcy into a thriving city.
He was elected as mayor back in 2013 while running a write-in campaign due to a ballot challenge.
Since Duggan was in office, violent crime decreased, and Detroit’s population increased slightly in 2023. That was the first uptick in population since the 1950s.
He was the first candidate to announce his bid for governor in the 2026 race.
Read more –> Behind Mayor Mike Duggan’s decision to break from Democratic party
Michigan’s next gubernatorial election is on Nov. 3, 2026.
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