Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and U.S. Representative John James won their respective primary elections on August 4, 2026, setting up a November 3 general election battle for governor in a state Democrats currently control. Benson easily defeated Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the Democratic primary, while James defeated businessman Perry Johnson in the Republican contest to replace term-limited Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Benson secured more than 80% of the Democratic vote, according to multiple news organizations including the Associated Press, while James captured 50% of the Republican primary. The two candidates will now compete in what the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as leaning in Benson’s favor as Republicans seek to flip the seat.
Education emerged as a central issue in the primary race and is expected to dominate the general election campaign. Both Benson and James have acknowledged Michigan’s low literacy rates among K-12 students, according to reporting from Chalkbeat Detroit, but they differ sharply on solutions. James wants to expand school choice and pledged to opt Michigan into the federal tax credit scholarship program on his first day in office, which allows people to receive tax credits for donations to organizations that provide scholarships for private school tuition and other educational expenses.
Benson, whose parents were public school teachers, plans to focus on equitable school funding and teacher recruitment and retention. Her education plan requires starting teacher salaries to be at least $60,000 annually, well above the statewide average of about $41,000, according to Chalkbeat. In her acceptance speech, Benson said she would work for teachers “who dedicate their lives to preparing our children for the future and who deserve pay and more respect.”
The Republican primary drew national attention and at times turned personal. Johnson ran ads calling James, who is Black, a “DEI candidate” — standing for diversity, equity and inclusion — and a “lying liberal loser,” according to the Detroit Free Press. Before Mike Cox exited and endorsed James, the former Michigan attorney general called the congressman a “nepo baby” for previously leading his father’s company. James responded sharply during a televised debate, telling Johnson: “Perry, I know when you were born, Black people could still be bought and sold in this country, but no one owns me.”
James carries the endorsement of President Trump, a significant asset in the Republican primary. Trump had previously seen three of his initial gubernatorial picks lose earlier in the 2026 cycle, according to The Hill, but James’s primary victory marks a win for the former president in Michigan, a state Trump won by a large margin in 2024.
The 2022 gubernatorial race offers a recent precedent for the state. Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican Tudor Dixon with 54.5% of the vote to Dixon’s 43.9%, according to NBC News and The New York Times. That victory gave Democrats control of the state’s top office, and Benson, who has served as Secretary of State since 2019, is seeking to maintain Democratic control in a state that has proven competitive in statewide races.
One uncertainty heading into the general election is where supporters of former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will cast their votes. Duggan, a former Democrat who launched an independent bid for governor, dropped out in May after polling showed him with double-digit support. He has not endorsed either Benson or James since withdrawing from the race.
Sources
- Chalkbeat Detroit — Benson and James primary victories, education policy positions, and campaign messaging
- The Hill — Cook Political Report rating, Trump endorsement of James, 2026 primary dynamics
- NBC News — 2022 Michigan governor election results and Whitmer’s vote margin
- The New York Times — 2022 Michigan governor election results
- Detroit Free Press — Republican primary attack ads and campaign rhetoric
- Associated Press — Primary election results and candidate vote percentages
