And They’re Off, 2.0

Spectator

By Stephen Tuttle | May 9, 2026

Last week we took a brief look at Michigan’s Republican candidates for governor, so it’s only fair we now look at the Democrats’ far less competitive race. Or, at least it isn’t very competitive yet, but there is a significant wild card we’ll discuss later.

Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited after an up-and-down tenure that saw recessions, a pandemic, and a kidnapping and assassination plot. Despite it all, Whitmer remains popular among Democrats and still has a 22 point favorable over unfavorable opinion among Michigan voters.

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist was going to be a Democratic candidate but dropped out and is now running for Secretary of State, having been nominated by the party at their convention. That leaves us with a relatively small Democratic field completely dominated by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

(We are again using polling data developed and reported by Glengariff Group, Emerson College, Mitchell Research, Rosetta Stone, and Target Insyght. The numbers were valid through the middle of April.)

Benson, with massive name recognition, is now supported by more than half eligible Democratic voters and has at least a 35 point primary race lead in every poll. She touts reform at Secretary of State offices improving both in-person and online accessibility. Same with the Department of Motor Vehicles, which her office also oversees. She promises greater transparency and accountability if elected. (Democratic candidates promise accountability and transparency the same way Republican candidates promise to reduce waste and fraud. Neither side has had much luck fulfilling those promises.)

Benson is also, fairly or not, inextricably linked to Whitmer, and it is not clear that helps among independent voters. There are also still those whining about the 2020 presidential election results in Michigan, though those results have been recounted and audited and we know, as a fact, the 2020 elections in Michigan were run professionally and fairly at every level.

Also running and resolute but facing an uphill battle is Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, who promises a non-partisan approach attempting to bridge the current partisan divide afflicting public discourse and decision making. As an example, during protest marches over the George Floyd murder, rather than a violent crackdown on demonstrators, Swanson removed his riot gear and joined the marchers, successfully defusing potential trouble. Swanson must dramatically increase both fundraising and name recognition to have a chance.

In the same boat is Kim Thomas, a veteran who worked for the Department of Defense for 20 years as an auditor and says she “knows where the money is hidden.” She believes Michigan can do more with less tax money and wants to reform public education and move past today's rhetoric. She has almost no name recognition and little money, so there is much work ahead for the Thomas campaign.

Which brings us to the wild card who has the potential to be a destructive card. Former Detroit mayor Mike Duggan, previously a Democrat, has decided to run for governor as an independent. He has a built-in fundraising apparatus, name recognition, and a track record. He will not have to spend time or energy on an expensive and destructive primary race, and as the first to announce his candidacy, has a head start on the rest of the field.

The second longest serving Detroit mayor ever, he was on board when the city emerged from bankruptcy, he lowered property taxes, and he wants to take credit for the city’s rebirth. He supports school choice “without vouchers” and tax incentives for new or expanding companies after they have created jobs, but not before. He says he is a pragmatic coalition builder who will appeal to the middle of a splintered populace.

In head-to-head match-ups, Jocelyn Benson fares very well against either John James or Mike Cox, likely Republican nominees. But with Duggan in the race, things tighten considerably, and Duggan could garner more than 30 percent of the vote according to some polling, though “undecided” would win if the election were held today.

Democrats fear the Duggan candidacy will siphon more votes from the Democratic nominee given Duggan’s background and hand the governor’s office to a Republican.

Though the elections, especially the August primaries, will sneak up on us quickly, we are still a long way from these races sorting themselves out. There may be withdrawals on either or both sides, the insanity that national politics has become will also play a role, and it would appear Republicans may have trouble escaping the curse of President Trump’s price wars against average folks.

The old adage that all politics are local might be put to a harsh test this year as the incompetency at all levels among both parties in Washington now infects local politics. Candidates should feel fortunate “None of the above” is not on the ballot.