Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson launches a bid for governor

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, announced Wednesday that she is launching a campaign for governor.

“I’m running for governor to truly make government work for everyone. We need leaders who are transparent and accountable. We need our schools and neighborhoods to be safe for all of us,” Benson says in a video accompanying her campaign launch.

The video highlights Benson’s experience, as she mentions her work as secretary of state, her time as dean of Wayne State University Law School and her experience as a co-founder of Military Spouses of Michigan.

Benson is the first major candidate to jump into the 2026 Democratic primary for governor. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan last month launched an independent campaign, bypassing the Democratic primary. 

Though Duggan opted to take a different path, Benson could face a tough primary. Other Democrats, like Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, have also been floated as possible names who could run to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who is term-limited. 

On the Republican side, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt jumped into the race last week.

Almost two years out from Election Day, Michigan’s race for governor is already likely to be one of the most closely watched contests in the country next year. Though Whitmer and Benson won statewide in 2018 and 2022, President Donald Trump won the state in 2016 and 2024, cementing Michigan’s reputation as one of the most tightly divided battlegrounds in the United States.

In her launch video, Benson mentions her work in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election fighting back against Trump allies who falsely accused her of allowing election fraud and made baseless claims that Trump won the state that year.

In the weeks after that election, armed pro-Trump protesters showed up outside Benson’s home demanding that she certify the election in Trump’s favor. Joe Biden carried the state by 2.8 percentage points that year.

“I ran for secretary of state to make sure government is efficient and transparent, that every voice is heard and every legitimate vote is counted in every election, no matter the outcome. Now, some people didn’t like that very much,” Benson says in the video, which includes local news clips of the protesters outside her home.

Later in the video, Benson tells viewers, “I’ve spent my life standing up to powerful interests, and I’ll keep standing up to any bullies or billionaires who try to deceive us, divide us, take away our rights or deny anyone the opportunity to get a fair shot,” and shows photos of Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk.