MICHIGAN — Michigan voters will choose a new governor in November 2026. Current Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited after serving back-to-back four year stints in Lansing. We are keeping track of candidates who throw their hats in the ring below.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that her focus if she’s elected governor in 2026 would be on “efficiency and transparency” in state government. Benson spoke to reporters in Lansing while filing paperwork to officially declare herself as a candidate for the Democratic nomination after announcing her campaign earlier in the day.

Democratic Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running for governor of the all-important swing state.

Healey’s travel in 2024 included a stretch in which she visited or was traveling to other states on 28 of the 80 days from the day she left Massachusetts for the Democratic National Convention in mid-August through Election Day on Nov.

Ms. Benson, a Democrat, jumped into a high-profile and potentially crowded race to lead one of the country’s top battleground states.

The secretary of state is the first Democrat to announce a run for the seat, joining a field of three official candidates running for Michigan governor so far.

Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running for governor of the all-important swing state of Michigan (AP video: Mike Householder)

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced she will be running for governor in 2026. Benson, a Democrat, is the latest person to throw their name in the gubernatorial race.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) announced she is running for governor on Wednesday, becoming the first major Democratic candidate to jump into the race. “I’m running for

Jocelyn Benson, 47, of Detroit, said she wants to be known as "the governor who puts transparency and efficiency at the forefront."

Benson said she's running for governor to "bring real solutions, not political games, conspiracy theories, or inaction" to Lansing.