Aghogho Edevbie announced Monday he would seek to replace Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson when her second term expires at the end of next year.

The Michigan GOP alleges Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson violated state campaign finance law when she used a state-owned building as part of her newly launched campaign for governor. The complaint filed Monday stems from how Benson rolled out her announcement last week as a Democratic candidate in the 2026 governor’s race.

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.

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

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.

MICHIGAN — Michigan voters will choose a new governor in November 2026. Current Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited after serving back-to-back four year stints in Lansing. We are keeping track of candidates who throw their hats in the ring below.

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.

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.

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)