Jocelyn Benson is seeking to succeed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Jan. 22 launched a bid to become her state’s next governor, joining a field seeking to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who cannot run in 2026 due to term limits.
Benson, a Democrat like Whitmer, said in her announcement video that it’s become clear after speaking to Michigan residents that too many “feel left out in the cold, their voices drowned out by more powerful ones.”
“I’m running for governor to truly make government work for everyone,” she added later. “We need leaders who are transparent and accountable. We need our schools and neighborhoods to be safe for all of us. Every Michigander should be able to pay their bills, put food on the table and take care of their families. We deserve access to affordable health care and reproductive freedom, and our kids deserve schools that are the best in the nation, along with quality, affordable child care. Let’s make Michigan the best place to be a kid, raise a kid, stay, and call home.”
Benson, 47, lost her first bid to become Michigan’s secretary of state in 2010. She prevailed on her second try in 2018 and won another term in 2022.
Benson’s other work includes serving on the board of a nonprofit founded by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and being dean of Wayne State University Law School.
Benson during her time in office has helped expand the ways and times people can vote, including sending absentee ballots to all state voters after the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Whitmer, 53, won the 2022 race with 54 percent of the vote, beating Republican candidate Tudor Dixon. Whitmer succeeded former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who had been a Democrat, in 2024 announced he was entering the gubernatorial race as an independent.
“It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Duggan, 66, said at the time. “And so I want to offer people a choice.”
Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, a Republican, earlier in January launched his campaign.
“Michiganders deserve so much better than what they’re getting from these Democrats up in Lansing,” Nesbitt, 44, said in his announcement video. “What we’ve seen is higher taxes, more spending, more debt, and less jobs.”
Voters will cast ballots in the race in 2026, and the winner will be sworn in the following year.