Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson officially joined the governor’s race to replace Governor Gretchen Whitmer. What do the two Democrats have in common? They were both targeted by armed and violent MAGA protesters before Jan.

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

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson becomes the first major Democratic candidate to launch a bid to be Michigan's next governor.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson officially joined the race for governor. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is already running as an independent and Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt is also in the race with more expected to follow considering election day is still 22 months away.

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

Benson, a Democrat, is among the well-known politicians who have announced plans for the governor race in recent weeks. Republican legislator Aric Nesbitt announced his campaign Jan. 14; Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced in December that he would run as an independent.

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.

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson may have accidentally announced her run for governor.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has become the first Democrat to announce a run for governor in 2026. In announcing her run Wednesday, Jan. 22, Benson said she’s running because the state needs a leader who will save Michiganders time and money,

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

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) announced she is running for governor on Wednesday, becoming the first major Democratic candidate to jump into the race. “I’m running for governor to truly make government truly work for everyone,

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