Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat who lives in Detroit, announced Wednesday that she's running for governor. The big picture: Benson is the second local candidate to throw their hat into the 2026 governor's race after Mayor Mike Duggan left the Democratic party to run as an independent.

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

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

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 governor

Jocelyn Benson, currently Michigan's secretary of state, announced her campaign Wednesday for the state's governor in the 2026 election cycle. Current governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is facing a term limit situation and therefore unable to run again for that seat.

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.