Michigan Secretary of State Election: 2026 Winner

Detroit's Labor Day parade, once a magnet for top-tier Democratic politicians, has gone roughly a decade without a nationally prominent current or former elected official as its main draw. Bill Clinton campaigned there in 2016 for Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden addressed rallies in 2012 and 2014 as vice president, while Barack Obama spoke at the 2008 event during his first presidential run. This year's parade featured UAW President Shawn Fain and a slate of Michigan Democratic candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed, Jocelyn Benson, Eli Savit, and Garlin Gilchrist II, but no national figures.

Political consultants point to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced cancellation of the parade from 2020 to 2022, along with candidates' shifting preference for controlled messaging over parade appearances. The decline comes even as Michigan gains outsized influence in 2028, after Democrats approved it to hold the nation's first Midwest presidential primary on Feb. 22, 2028. Analysts suggest national attention to the parade could rebound depending on the timing of the UAW's endorsement in that race.

Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican businessman John James, both seeking Michigan's governorship in 2026, separately addressed the Detroit Economic Club on September 16, fielding business-focused questions ahead of the race to succeed term-limited Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The appearances gave each candidate a platform to outline their economic priorities to a key audience of business leaders in the state.

The gubernatorial race is shaping up as one of the most closely watched contests of the 2026 midterm cycle, with Michigan's manufacturing base, auto industry, and economic policy likely to be central themes. Benson and James joining the Economic Club separately, rather than in a debate format, signals the campaign is still in its early positioning stage, with both sides working to build support among business and civic constituencies before the primaries.

Nexstar Media Group's Michigan television stations will air two live, multi-market debates dubbed "Debate Week in Michigan" ahead of the state's high-profile 2026 races. The gubernatorial debate airs October 6 from 7 to 8 p.m. ET, followed by the U.S. Senate debate on October 8, same time slot. Both events will originate from WOOD-TV's studios in Grand Rapids, moderated by political reporter Rick Albin with anchor Amber Krycka fielding viewer questions on topics including technology, healthcare, immigration, and the economy.

In the governor's race, Republican U.S. Representative John James faces Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, competing to succeed term-limited Gretchen Whitmer. The Senate debate pits Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official and past gubernatorial candidate, against Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers, vying for the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters. The debates will broadcast across Nexstar's Michigan stations, stream digitally, and have excerpts air nationally on NewsNation and The Hill.

Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf and the Michigan Department of State are publicly accusing each other of misconduct amid Leaf's ongoing investigation into claims that noncitizens are being automatically registered to vote when they change addresses. Leaf says a whistleblower prompted the inquiry, and he visited Secretary of State branch offices in Hastings and Ionia seeking information, but staff declined to cooperate, citing office policy against sharing law enforcement information on verbal request.

In a letter, Department of State Chief Legal Director Khyla Craine accused Leaf of asking inappropriate questions, demanding an employee's personal information without legal authority, and pressuring officials outside proper channels. She warned that harassment of staff would not be tolerated, citing a state law against intimidating public employees, though the office said it is not pursuing criminal charges "at this time." Leaf denies wrongdoing, calls the office's response obstruction, and says he has referred Craine and elections director Jonathan Brater to federal authorities. Leaf, who has probed election fraud claims since 2020, has never had a case result in charges.

Michigan House Republicans have introduced House Bill 5968, which would require the deputy secretary of state to take over as "chief election officer" whenever the sitting secretary of state runs for an office other than reelection. The bill responds to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's campaign for governor; Benson, the Democratic nominee, voluntarily adopted a "firewall" policy in May recusing herself from election oversight tied to her race, delegating those duties to Elections Director Jonathan Brater while retaining final policy authority.

Bill sponsor Rep. Jennifer Wortz argued voluntary recusal isn't enough since Michigan law has no ethics provision requiring it, citing similar proposals in Arizona and Utah. The reassignment would exempt constitutionally required duties like election audits. Democratic Rep. Mai Xiong questioned why local clerks running for office weren't similarly addressed, while Rep. Matt Koleszar noted Michigan doesn't require a deputy secretary of state to be appointed at all. Benson faces U.S. Rep. John James in the November 3 general election to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Michigan's Department of State has announced nine winning "I Voted" sticker designs that local clerks can hand out to voters during the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson revealed the winners, chosen from 2,095 submissions, four times more than the contest's inaugural 2024 run, with over 53,000 public votes cast. Designs ranged from a scoop of Superman ice cream and the Mackinac Bridge to an astronaut bunny and the Edmund Fitzgerald, submitted by contestants across elementary/middle school, high school, and general categories. Michigan's Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, formed by Benson in 2019 to boost youth civic engagement, helped narrow entries to finalists for public voting.

Availability will vary by polling location since local clerks must request the designs. The contest coincides with a high-profile election cycle: Michiganders will fill an open U.S. Senate seat, with Abdul El-Sayed facing Mike Rogers, and choose a successor to term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, pitting Benson against U.S. Rep. John James after both won their August primaries.

Michigan's next governor will confront a steep decline in reading proficiency, with just 38.2% of third graders meeting English language arts standards in 2026, down from roughly half in 2015. Republican John James and Democrat Jocelyn Benson both cite Mississippi's reading gains as a model and support evidence-based, phonics-focused instruction, but diverge on execution. James says existing education funding is sufficient if administrative waste is cut and redirected to classrooms; he also backs school choice and a constitutional amendment making the state superintendent report to the governor, plus an A-F school grading system. Benson wants a weighted school funding model, a $60,000 minimum teacher salary, expanded early childhood education, and targeted support for struggling schools rather than a focus on blame.
James and Benson both back science-based reading fixes for Michigan's literacy crisis but split sharply on funding and accountability.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) and Rep. John James (R-Mich.) met Tuesday night in their first general-election debate for governor, hosted by Nexstar's WOOD-TV. The two are vying to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as Republicans try to flip the seat in November.

Cook Political Report currently rates the race as leaning Democratic, and prediction-market averages give Benson roughly a three-in-four chance of winning, with James trailing. The debate marks an early test of how each candidate's messaging resonates with voters as the campaign heads toward Election Day, and it is likely to shape perceptions of the race's competitiveness ahead of further polling and market movement.

Michigan election officials are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to deny an emergency request from Americans for Citizen Voting - Michigan (ACVM), which is seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote. The state Board of Canvassers deadlocked on Aug. 24 over disputed signatures, leaving the measure three short of the roughly 446,198 required, despite the group submitting over 709,000 signatures. ACVM sued in state court, then appealed to Justice Brett Kavanaugh after the Michigan Supreme Court did not act, arguing due process and equal protection violations and seeking a ruling before the Sept. 4 deadline for finalizing ballot language.

Attorney General Dana Nessel and Solicitor General Ann Sherman called the application "highly unusual" and "sorely lacking in factual bases and legal substance," arguing no state court has yet ruled and that the state followed its standard review timeline. They asked the Supreme Court to deny the request.

Michigan Democrats officially nominated Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for governor and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks for lieutenant governor at the party's nominating convention in Lansing. Brinks faced no challengers and was confirmed by voice vote, setting up a Benson-Brinks ticket that would make history as the state's first all-woman governor-lieutenant governor pairing if elected. The ticket will face Republican nominee U.S. Rep. John James and running mate state Rep. Jay DeBoyer in the November general election.

Brinks used her acceptance speech to tie James to President Trump's tariff policies, while James's campaign called the Democratic slate the "most radical" in state history. Delegates also finalized previously endorsed nominees, including Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist for secretary of state and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit for attorney general. Attorney General Dana Nessel skipped the event, citing concerns about antisemitism within the party. The general election is set for Nov. 3, 2026.