# Michigan Governor race 2026

Open seat. Rep. John James (R) faces Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).

- Office: Governor
- Rating: Lean Democrat (Cook Political Report, Oct 13, 2026)
- Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/election/mi-governor/
- Back to [Election Headquarters](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/election/)

## Who is running

- John James (Republican): open seat
- Jocelyn Benson (Democrat): open seat

## The facts

- Whitmer won in 2022 with 54.5% and is term-limited. (Wikipedia)
- James beat businessman Perry Johnson in the Aug. 4 Republican primary with 50.1%. Benson won the Democratic primary with 83.2%. (Wikipedia)
- Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, running as an independent, suspended his campaign in May. (Wikipedia)

## Why this race matters to conservatives (opinion)

Michigan is a swing state that decides national elections. Governor and Senate are on the same ballot.

This section is the opinion of RightNewsRightNow. The rest of the page is reporting.

## Where these facts come from

- [Cook Political Report](https://www.270towin.com/2026-governor-election/cook-political-report-2026-governor): current rating, as of Oct 13, 2026
- [Wikipedia (election pages, with their cited sources)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_gubernatorial_elections): candidate and race facts