Michigan will see a major change come 2026, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, due to term limits, will not be able to seek reelection. This means the State’s highest office will be up for grabs with no incumbent in place, and a couple of notable names have already declared their run.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Michigan Republican Senate Leader Aric Nesbitt are the two most prominent names to declare their run for governor. Rumors persist that other notable names are being pressured and are considering a run.
Mayor Duggan is a hugely popular figure in Michigan and is associated with Detroit’s 10-year success. Notably, Duggan also endorsed former President Biden, before he ended his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
Duggan made political waves in Michigan as he took office right as Detroit became the largest municipality in the nation’s history to file for bankruptcy. However, more than 11 years later, Detroit has improved by nearly every metric — from population growth to public works.
Duggan did all of this as a Democrat. So, it came as a major shock when he decided to run as an independent for governor, forsaking his party allegiance in pursuit of a different path, and attempting to appeal to disillusioned voters.
“I fought hard for civil rights, reproductive rights, and rights for our LGBTQ community. But, when calls mounted to defund the police, I angered some in my own party by giving Detroit police officers a well-deserved 10,000 dollar raise and putting 300 more officers on the streets,” Duggan said during his campaign announcement video.
Duggans bid for the governor’s office is uncertain as an independent, especially since the political landscape for the race is yet to fully developed. However, the Michigan Republicans will at least entertain Nesbitt as their candidate for governor.
Nesbitt, who has been in the Michigan Legislature since 2010, also made an announcement video for governor. Nesbitt grew up as a farmer, on his family farm of six generations in West Michigan and is a supporter of President Trump.
“When you’ve been farming here for six generations, we want to be able to hand it over to the seventh generation … Michiganders deserve so much better than what they’re getting from these Democrats up at Lansing,” Nesbitt said.
Nesbitt has called for ending electric vehicle mandates and plans to help President Trump bring about a resurgence in manufacturing. Nesbitt also made it clear that he supports the Second Amendment and wants to pass a statewide ban on sanctuary city policies.
“Working families, we have your back, so my kids the next generation, can inherit a Michigan that’s freer more secure and more prosperous than the Michigan of today,” Nesbitt said.
While no major Democratic candidate has announced a run for the governor’s seat in Michigan, there are a handful of likely candidates to watch. Prominently is Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who has said that she is considering a run for the seat.
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist is reportedly in a similar situation and also considering entering the run for governor.
There are large hopes, among Democrats, that the political star Pete Buttigieg will also run for governor. Buttigieg, while not a native Michigander, recently moved to Michigan and is therefore eligible to run for governor.
Any Democrat who runs for governor must be selective in their campaign. With Mike Duggan on the ballot, Democrats cannot take any vote for granted as the mayor will pose a unique challenge to retain Democrat voters — Duggan is a threat to Republicans as well, although to a lesser degree.
