Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson secured the Democratic nomination for governor on Tuesday, August 5th, 2026, in a critical race to succeed term-limited Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Benson defeated Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, according to the Associated Press.

Benson, a former dean of Wayne State University Law School, was first elected Secretary of State in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. She gained national prominence in 2020 for defending Michigan's election systems against former President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud after Joe Biden narrowly won the state.

Chris Swanson, who gained attention during the 2020 nationwide protests following George Floyd's death and spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention as a supporter of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, was Benson's primary opponent.

Benson will now face either Republican John James or Perry Johnson in the general election this fall, as Michigan remains a key battleground state.

Sources