Democratic Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running for governor of the all-important swing state.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson became the first Democrat to announce her candidacy for governor in 2026 to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI). Benson announced her bid Wednesday morning,

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

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that her focus if she’s elected governor in 2026 would be on “efficiency and transparency” in state government. Benson spoke to reporters in Lansing while filing paperwork to officially declare herself as a candidate for the Democratic nomination after announcing her campaign earlier in the day.

The secretary of state is the first Democrat to announce a run for the seat, joining a field of three official candidates running for Michigan governor so far.

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

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 to truly make government truly work for everyone,

Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running for governor of the all-important swing state of Michigan (AP video: Mike Householder)

Benson said she's running for governor to "bring real solutions, not political games, conspiracy theories, or inaction" to Lansing.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), in a brief turn as acting governor, signed a bill Dec. 1, 2023, to allow voters to request an absentee ballot through a state portal, a policy first adopted during the early days of COVID-19.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, announced Wednesday that she is launching a campaign for governor.