Michigan’s elections panel finalized the battle lines for the state’s open races for governor and U.S. Senate that have exposed divides on the Democratic side and Republican President Donald Trump’s grip on his party.
The Board of State Canvassers – composed of two Republicans and two Democrats – certified the candidates that had submitted enough valid voter signatures to qualify for the Aug. 4 primary ballot in which voters will decide the party nominees in battleground Michigan’s marquee races.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot run again due to term limits, while U.S. Sen. Gary Peters opted against seeking another term. The Democratic departures from office make Michigan a must-watch state nationally. Democrats have an advantage in the competitive race for governor, while either party has a solid shot at securing the U.S. Senate seat, according to The Cook Political Report, which analyzes races across the country.
But before Michigan voters make their final selections in November, candidates will first fight for their party’s base in the primary.
A 2-way race in the Democratic gubernatorial primary
Unlike the competitive Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, there is a clear Democratic frontrunner in the gubernatorial primary. When it comes to her poll numbers and fundraising, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has the lead. She has highlighted her oversight of the 2020 election in Michigan to argue that she can stand up to Trump, who targeted the state in his quest to overturn his loss that year. But beyond fighting the president, she has pledged “to make Michigan the best place to be a kid, raise a kid, and call home.”
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson has pitched himself as the working-class candidate in the race and argued that Lansing needs an outsider. “I don’t come from politics; I come from Genesee County, where we know the people closest to the problem typically know what’s needed,” he wrote in a 2025 op-ed for Lansing’s City Pulse.
The Board of State Canvassers determined that Democrat Kim Thomas didn’t submit enough valid voter signatures following a report that found petition sheets showed “clear indications of fraud,” which were referred for investigation. The math teacher from Battle Creek expressed vehement disagreement with the review and her disqualification. During her campaign she highlighted her background as an auditor during her campaign to argue she could improve the state budget and turn around Michigan’s economy.
GOP field sees last-minute to derail Johnson’s certification fail
U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, boasts a lead in the polls. The congressman previously ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020 with Trump’s backing. His campaign has significant financial support from members of the DeVos family.
But James’ frontrunner status saw a major shake-up with businessman Perry Johnson’s late entry into the governor’s race and his pledge to spend large sums of his own money to bolster his campaign. Johnson ran for governor in 2022, but he was one of several candidates knocked off the ballot in a scandal that led to criminal charges against leaders at signature collection companies.
A new allegation of petition fraud against Johnson this cycle injected some last-minute uncertainty for his campaign. The Detroit News reported that a campaign consultant signed an affidavit that Johnson’s petition sheets were run through a printer to add a disclaimer after voters had signed them. Johnson has denied that he retroactively modified the sheets, adding that he is also not aware of anyone on his staff who did.
Michigan Elections Director Jonathan Brater told the Board of State Canvassers that it is possible that the alleged retroactive addition of a disclosure may be a violation of the state’s campaign finance law but it is not a basis to reject Johnson’s petitions under election law. Brater also said that no one tried to file an affidavit with Bureau of Elections. Members of the Board of State Canvassers raised concerns about the call from a James-aligned group challenging Johnson’s petition to delay certification based on a document they have never seen.
The GOP race also includes former Attorney General Mike Cox and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township.
The Board of State Canvassers disqualified retired pastor Ralph Rebandt from the race. He told the board that his campaign was “in shock” because it followed the same process that it did in 2022 when he made the ballot. But a review of his signatures found that he came up short.
On Dem side, U.S. Senate race underscores intraparty divides
The Democratic primary for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat features a hotly contested three-way race between former Wayne County and Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham.
El-Sayed lost the Democratic primary for governor in 2018, but he hopes his progressive message that includes his pledge to fight for “Medicare for All” will resonate this time.
Stevens – the moderate in the race – was first elected to Congress in a competitive race in 2018 that wrested control of a district long held by Republicans. She is no stranger to a tough Democratic primary race, having defeated U.S. Andy Levin of Bloomfield Township in 2022.
Like Stevens, McMorrow also flipped an Oakland County district from red to blue. She has become a national Democratic figure and argued that Washington, D.C. is overdue for a change in party leadership.
The primary has become a kind of litmus test for the strength of the left flank of the Democratic Party.
Republican Mike Rogers without competition in Senate primary
In the 2024 election, U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, beat former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers by less than one percentage point. But unlike that cycle, this time he faces no challenger in the August primary. A potential challenger to Rogers – Bernadette Smith – did not submit enough signatures to make the ballot.
Trump has once again backed Rogers, and his early backing this election helped clear the field of any major competition.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 knocked off ballot in Michigan’s U.S. Senate, governor’s race
Reporting by Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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