Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson becomes the first major Democratic candidate to launch a bid to be Michigan's next governor.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson officially joined the race for governor. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is already running as an independent and Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt is also in the race with more expected to follow considering election day is still 22 months away.

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

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has become the first Democrat to announce a run for governor in 2026. In announcing her run Wednesday, Jan. 22, Benson said she’s running because the state needs a leader who will save Michiganders time and money,

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

Aghogho Edevbie announced Monday he would seek to replace Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson when her second term expires at the end of next year.