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

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.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's Democratic secretary of state announced Wednesday that she is running to succeed Gretchen Whitmer as governor in 2026, as the party tries to find its footing after November's significant losses in the battleground state.