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

Jocelyn Benson is the first Democrat to announce her candidacy for governor in 2026 after the state voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson accidentally let it slip on social media Tuesday night that she’s running for governor. After quickly deleting the post, the Democrat officially announced her candidacy for governor at 6:15 a.m. Wednesday.

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

Benson, a Democrat, is among the well-known politicians who have announced plans for the governor race in recent weeks. Republican legislator Aric Nesbitt announced his campaign Jan. 14; Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced in December that he would run as an independent.

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,

(The Center Square) – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has declared her bid for governor. Benson, a Democrat, is running to fill the seat currently held by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

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

Upon the launch of her gubernatorial run, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson faces a campaign finance complaint. Her campaign denies any wrongdoing.

Jocelyn Benson announces her run for governor, the state House passes legislation to change the state’s tipped wage and sick time leave laws and state Senate Dems authorize a lawsuit to release bills from last year’s chaotic lame-duck legislative session.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson took questions from reporters about her campaign for governor from inside a state office building she controls.