LANSING, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Michigan's Democratic secretary of state announced Wednesday that she is running to succeed as governor in 2026, as the party tries to find its footing after November's significant losses in the battleground state.
served as the state's chief elections administrator in the 2020 and 2024 elections and is the first well-known candidate to enter the fray as a Democrat. She will have to appeal to voters seemingly disillusioned with Democrats who cast votes in November for President Donald Trump.
鈥淲e鈥檒l work to continue delivering and not just listening," Benson said in an interview with The Associated Press. 鈥淭alking about economics and how to save people time and money.鈥�
, whose own statewide wins mirror Benson's in 2018 and 2022, is term limited and has said she does not plan to endorse anyone in the race to be her successor.
Benson gained for defending the results of the 2020 election when they were repeatedly questioned by Trump and his allies after he lost the state to Joe Biden.
鈥淣ow, some people didn't like that very much,鈥� she said in a campaign video shared with AP before its public release. The video then showed news footage of who were angry about what they falsely claimed was voter fraud leading to Trump鈥檚 loss.
Benson's own reelection in 2022 was part of a wave of overwhelming Democratic wins in Michigan, including both chambers of the legislature, the governor's office and the . The year was also notable for the number of women elected to the state legislature, and executive leadership. Three out of the four top executive offices in the state are led by women, including Benson.
鈥淭o elevate women鈥檚 voices, and really all voices, that aren鈥檛 being heard or aren鈥檛 at the center of decision making circles in this moment is really important for me,鈥� Benson said. Her campaign has an all-female leadership team.
The Democratic electoral success was broken in November 2024, when Trump won the state and Republicans won back the .
In her time as secretary, Benson has focused on educating the public about the voting process in Michigan, expanding voter access and implementing a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2022 that established an early voting period. Before running for statewide office, Benson was an election law attorney and led the Wayne State University Law School.
The gubernatorial platform she announced focuses on her leadership as secretary and her goals to improve education and lower the cost of living to retain Michigan residents. She pledged to stand up to 鈥減owerful interests鈥� including Trump and Elon Musk, whom Benson has spat with before over Musk donated $200 million to a super PAC that worked to organize Trump support last fall, and has since created with the president.
Benson is the first high-profile Democrat to launch a bid for governor. , a longtime Democrat, threw a wrench in the race when he announced last month that he is running for the position as an independent.
Benson has criticized his decision, saying he abandoned the party rather than working through its challenges.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not a party that leaders should flee from, but one that we can all get behind and work to fix the problems facing everyday Americans,鈥� she said.
Duggan's move also exempts him from a competitive primary among Democrats contemplating a run. Former Secretary of Transportation , who moved to Traverse City, Michigan, shortly after his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2020, has been fielding calls from Michigan Democrats
is also considering a run, as is Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, the Flint-area sheriff who rose to prominence after he marched with a crowd of protesters after George Floyd's death at the hands of police officers in 2020.
On the other side of the aisle, the top Republican in the state Senate, , announced a campaign for governor last week. He expressed support for Trump and criticized inaction in Lansing. Democrats passed a flurry of after gaining complete control of state government in 2022, but held fewer session days and saw in 2024.
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Isabella Volmert, The Associated Press
