Michigan voters will soon weigh in on the governor’s race, deciding which candidates will receive the Democratic and Republican nominations to face off in the Nov. 3 general election.
The Democratic primary includes Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. The Republican primary includes former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township and businessman Perry Johnson. Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, recently dropped out of the GOP race and joined President Donald Trump in endorsing James.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot run again due to term limits.
Democratic candidates for Michigan governor
Republican candidates for Michigan governor
Voters must pick whether they want to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary. They cannot vote in both.
Absentee ballots for the primary are available now. Early in-person voting begins everywhere Saturday, July 25 (though some municipalities will make early voting available earlier) and ends Sunday, Aug. 2. Voters can vote in-person at their polling location Tuesday, Aug. 4.
The general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The race to be Michigan’s next governor is competitive, but Democrats currently have an edge, according to the Cook Political Report, which analyzes electoral contests across the U.S.
What do you want to know about how the candidates for governor view education? The Detroit Free Press is partnering with Chalkbeat Detroit to survey our readers and help us decide how we cover education issues in the governor’s race. Take that survey here.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Meet the 5 Michigan governor candidates heading into 2026 election
Reporting by Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
