Democratic Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson launches bid for governor
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state announced Wednesday that she is running to succeed Gretchen Whitmer as governor in 2026, as the party tries to find its footing after November’s significant losses in the battleground state.
Jocelyn Benson served as the state’s chief elections administrator in the 2020 and 2024 elections and is the first well-known candidate to enter the fray as a Democrat. She will have to appeal to voters seemingly disillusioned with Democrats who cast votes in November for President Donald Trump.
Whitmer, whose own statewide wins mirror Benson’s in 2018 and 2022, is term limited and has said she does not plan to endorse anyone in the race to be her successor.
Benson gained nationwide recognition for defending the results of the 2020 election when they were repeatedly questioned by Trump and his allies after he lost the state to Joe Biden.
“Now, some people didn’t like that very much,” she said in a campaign video shared with The Associated Press before its public release. The video then showed news footage of protesters at her home in December 2020 who were angry about what they falsely claimed was voter fraud leading to Trump’s loss.
Benson’s own reelection in 2022 was part of a wave of overwhelming Democratic wins in Michigan, including both chambers of the legislature, the governor’s office and the office of attorney general. That streak was broken in November when Trump won the state and Republicans won back the state House of Representatives.
In her time as secretary, Benson has focused on educating the public about the voting process in Michigan, expanding voter access and implementing a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2022 that established an early voting period. Before running for statewide office, Benson was an election law attorney and led the Wayne State University Law School.
The gubernatorial platform she announced focuses on her leadership as secretary and her goals to improve education and lower the cost of living to retain Michigan residents. She pledged to stand up to “powerful interests” including Trump and Elon Musk, whom Benson has spat with before over election misinformation. Musk donated $200 million to a super PAC that worked to organize Trump support last fall, and has since created a strong alliance with the president.
Benson is the first high-profile Democrat to launch a bid for governor. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, threw a wrench in the race when he announced last month that he is running for the position as an independent.
Benson has criticized his decision, saying he abandoned the party rather than working through its challenges.
“For me, it’s important that in moments like this, we don’t flee from the party, but we stay and fix it,” Benson said during a televised interview last month.
Duggan’s move also exempts him from a competitive primary among Democrats contemplating a run. Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who moved to Traverse City, Michigan, shortly after his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2020, has been fielding calls from Michigan Democrats urging him to throw his name in.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II is also considering a run, as is Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, the Flint-area sheriff who rose to prominence after he marched with a crowd of protesters after George Floyd’s death at the hands of police officers in 2020.
On the other side of the aisle, the top Republican in the state Senate, Aric Nesbitt, announced a campaign for governor last week. He expressed support for Trump and criticized inaction in Lansing. Democrats passed a flurry of progressive legislation after gaining complete control of state government in 2022, but held fewer session days and saw stalled legislation in 2024.
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By ISABELLA VOLMERT
Associated Press
