U.S. Rep. John James, a Republican, this week introduced he’s operating for Michigan governor, the seventh individual to enter the race for the place.
“Our state has suffered lengthy sufficient. Michigan is robust. Our persons are robust. However we’re being held again by an absence of robust, competent management — management with real-world expertise within the areas Michiganders want most,” James mentioned in a statement April 7 posted to X.
Since January, seven people have announced plans to hunt the state’s highest workplace, together with three Republicans, three Democrats, and one longtime Democrat operating as an impartial.
A number of different people have mentioned they’re contemplating their very own campaigns or have created gubernatorial marketing campaign finance committees.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is time period restricted and can go away an open area for the 2026 gubernatorial election. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, additionally Democrat, on March 11 had been the newest candidate to affix the race to succeed Whitmer.
The subsequent governor will take workplace in 2027 after Whitmer’s time period expires. To qualify for the poll, candidates for governor should submit petitions with a sure variety of voter signatures.
At the moment, the Michigan Secretary of State web site does not list deadline dates for when candidates within the 2026 election should file nominating petitions.
Deadlines for 2026 haven’t been written but, spokesperson Cheri Hardmon beforehand mentioned, however “we are going to seemingly have them to submit by the autumn.”
For partisan candidates, the deadline is 15 Tuesdays earlier than the August main election and for candidates submitting with out celebration affiliation, it’s 110 days earlier than the November election.
Declared main candidates embody Democrats Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and Republicans James, Anthony Hudson and State Sen. Aric Nesbitt. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is operating as an Unbiased.
When is Michigan’s gubernatorial election?
The subsequent election for governor of Michigan is Nov. 3, 2026. The 2026 primary election is Aug. 4, 2026.
This is a more in-depth take a look at the declared candidates (so as of after they created their marketing campaign committee) and people contemplating operating for governor.
John James, Republican
James, 43, who represents the 10th Congressional District, served as president of James Group Worldwide (JGI) and CEO of Renaissance World Logistics — a supply-chain administration and logistics companies firm based mostly in Detroit.
Republican U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township speaks earlier than Donald Trump takes the stage at Macomb Group School on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
He served eight years of active duty military service as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer main two Apache helicopter platoons throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom 2007-09. He’s the state’s solely Black congressman. He ran for U.S. Senate twice unsuccessfully earlier than taking up this newly created seat in 2022 and profitable by a slender margin.
James, of Shelby Township, has additionally showered consideration on Selfridge Air Nationwide Guard Base and labored to convey earmarks again to the district.
“For the previous seven years, Michigan has been dominated by radical, out-of-touch insurance policies which have harm our households, our communities, and our financial system,” he mentioned in his marketing campaign launch statement. “It is time to get Michigan’s authorities out of fantasyland and again to widespread sense.”
Garlin Gilchrist, Democrat
Gilchrist, 42, grew up in Detroit and Farmington, and studied pc engineering and pc science on the College of Michigan.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist speaks to a crowd gathered as he makes his announcement to run for Michigan’s Governor on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Jam Helpful in Detroit.
He worked as a software program engineer at Microsoft in Washington state, the place he additionally was a social media supervisor for former President Barack Obama’s 2008 marketing campaign. After shifting to Washington, D.C., he labored for MoveOn.org, a liberal advocacy group.
When he returned to Detroit, he labored for the town as its director of innovation & rising know-how.
Gilchrist has been Whitmer’s lieutenant since she was first elected.
“I’m about outcomes. And engineers get issues accomplished. Engineers will not be fearful concerning the politics. They’re fearful about the issue and the answer and that is the place my head will at all times be and I can be prepared and prepared, keen frankly, to unravel issues alongside anybody who has that very same mentality,” he informed the Detroit Free Press in a phone interview.
Chris Swanson, Democrat
Swanson was elected Genesee County sheriff in 2020. He gained reelection in 2024.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson publicizes his run for governor at Mott Group School in Flint on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Swanson grew up in Grand Blanc and presently lives in Fenton, each Genesee County cities. He has labored in legislation enforcement for nearly three a long time, in keeping with the Genesee County Sheriff’s website.
Swanson attended Mott Group School in Flint, and holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in public administration, each from the College of Michigan.
Throughout a marketing campaign kickoff occasion, Swanson named defending Michigan residents’ 2nd Modification, collective bargaining and civil rights as a few of his priorities in addition to the liberty to worship, in a speech through which he invoked his personal religion, saying the Lord had opened doorways for him.
Jocelyn Benson, Democrat
Benson, 47, was first elected Secretary of State in 2018 after which once more in 2022. As Michigan’s chief elections officer through the 2020 election, Benson spoke out in opposition to President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss that yr.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson speaks to reporters throughout a press convention after midterm election polls shut in Michigan at Cadillac Place in Detroit on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (Through OlyDrop)
Along with her election duties, Benson additionally oversees motorcar companies in Michigan. Throughout her time in workplace, Benson has moved extra companies on-line and, with self-service kiosk stations in Michigan, drivers have changed in-person visits to a Secretary of State workplace with a visit to the grocery retailer.
Earlier than serving as Secretary of State, Benson was dean at Wayne State College Regulation College in Detroit.
“I need Michigan to be the perfect place within the nation to be a child, elevate a child, and be wholesome, protected, and profitable. A spot the place authorities is environment friendly and straightforward to take care of, the place companies and communities thrive, and the place each resident has entry to high quality youngster care, well being care, schooling, and housing,” Benson mentioned in a press release.
Aric Nesbitt, Republican
Nesbitt, 45, is a Cass County Republican, who grew up on a farm and has a protracted profession in Republican politics. He was first elected to the Michigan Home of Representatives in 2010, serving three phrases within the chamber.
Aric Nesbitt, left, seems in a promotional photograph from his marketing campaign web site.
He was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2018. When Democrats flipped that chamber from Republican to Democratic management within the 2022 election, his fellow GOP lawmakers selected him to function the Senate Republican Chief.
“As governor, I’ll put Michigan first by supporting taxpayers over the woke left, empowering mother and father, preserving households protected, and standing with President Trump to revive our manufacturing business and Make Michigan Nice Once more,” Nesbitt mentioned in a press release.
Anthony Hudson, Republican
Hudson, a Grand Blanc resident, was born in Hillsboro, Texas, and served within the U.S. Military from 1999 to 2001. He moved to Michigan in 2012, his on-line biography says, to be close to his youngsters after his divorce.
Anthony Hudson seems in a promotional picture from his marketing campaign web site.
His profession expertise contains proudly owning a small trucking firm, Longhorn Logistics, in keeping with Ballotpedia.
Hudson is operating for governor to get rid of property and state earnings taxes, demand transparency and accountability, and return energy to native communities the place it belongs, he says on his web site.
Mike Duggan, Unbiased
Duggan, 66, is a Detroit native and was elected the seventy fifth mayor of Detroit in 2013. He took workplace as mayor in 2014 and is presently serving his third four-year time period.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan speaks to members of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, on the Kellogg Heart in East Lansing.
After graduating from legislation faculty on the College of Michigan, he turned an lawyer for Wayne County, after which served for 14 years as deputy Wayne County executive, a biography on the city’s website said.
Duggan chaired the stadium authority and was concerned in constructing Comerica Park and Ford Discipline, the downtown stadiums for the Tigers and Lions. He additionally oversaw the development of the McNamara Terminal and modernization of Metro Airport, the web site mentioned. Duggan additionally was CEO of the Detroit Medical Heart.
Duggan says he needs to find ways to maintain Michigan’s younger individuals within the state, enhance public schooling, and develop entry to reasonably priced housing. He additionally hopes to finish partisanship in Lansing.
Have every other people introduced gubernatorial runs?
Quite a few persons are listed as having finance committees in place on the state web site.
Democrat Marni Sawicki has a Fb web page, Michigan Loves Marni, Governor, that claims “Marni is the previous mayor of Cape Coral, Florida. She was elected in 2013 and served for 4 years. She is now operating to the subsequent Governor of Michigan!”
“Getting equipped for campaigning! Trying ahead to getting out and assembly Michiganders!” a Jan. 27 submit says.
Sawicki additionally has an internet site, michiganlovesmarni.com, which notes she was born in Battle Creek, amongst different info.
Republican Evan Space, of Grand Rapids, has shaped a campaign committee and has an internet site stating he’s operating for governor.
House, a Traverse Metropolis native, requires the elimination of all enterprise taxes, statehood for the UP, bringing house launches to Michigan, the institution of a U.S. army base and the reform of the Pal of the Court docket, amongst different targets.
Republican Mike Cox, 63, hasn’t introduced a run, however mentioned he is contemplating it in a Jan. 30 post on X.
He served as Michigan’s top law enforcement officer from 2003-10. He ran within the GOP gubernatorial main in 2010, ending third in a five-candidate area that yr.
Mike Cox, an lawyer in Livonia, was Michigan’s lawyer basic from 2003 to 2011.
Cox grew up in Redford Township. After graduating from highschool, he enlisted within the U.S. Marine Corps. He obtained his legislation diploma from the College of Michigan in 1989 and went on to work for the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Workplace after which the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Workplace. His spouse, Laura Cox, beforehand served because the Michigan GOP chair through the 2020 election.
Larry Hutchinson, with no celebration affiliation, Richard Fuentes, with no celebration affiliation, Republican Joyce Gipson and Republican Benita Carter have all filed paperwork forming candidate committees with the state for the reason that final gubernatorial election in 2022.
The Detroit Free Press has reported that former gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon is contemplating one other run or might search a Senate seat, which additionally can be open in 2026.
The Detroit Free Press contributed reporting to this story.
This text initially appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan’s 2026 gubernatorial race is getting crowded. Here’s who’s running
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