Jocelyn Benson, currently Michigan's secretary of state, announced her campaign Wednesday for the state's governor in the 2026 election cycle. Current governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is facing a term limit situation and therefore unable to run again for that seat.

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.

Jocelyn Benson is the first Democrat to announce her candidacy for governor in 2026 after the state voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

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

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

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.

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

In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson launched a Democratic gubernatorial candidacy, hoping to succeed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who cannot seek a third term. A variety of other prominent figures in the Wolverine State have expressed interest in the race,

Michigan's Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announces her candidacy for governor in a bid to replace Gretchen Whitmer.