PODCAST:
Aug. 5, 2026 ~ Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of the Detroit News, joins Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson to break down last night’s primary election results in Michigan, such as the gubernatorial races, along with the ongoing count in the Michigan U.S. Senate primary.
MICHIGAN ~ Michigan’s general election to fill its gubernatorial seat was set for Tuesday evening, with Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James nabbing their respective parties’ nominations.
Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, beat out Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson with 84.7% of the vote, with 34% of the vote reported. James, who represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, won over businessman Perry Johnson with 50.1% of the vote at 27% of the vote reported.
Both Benson and James have established themselves as fixtures of Michigan politics in recent years. Benson was elected as Michigan’s secretary of state back in 2018, the same election that saw current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer elected to office. James is an Army veteran who ran as the Republican nominee to become Michigan’s U.S. Senator in 2018 and 2020, though he lost to Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, respectively. He was first elected to the U.S. House in 2022.
With Whitmer term-limited out of the governor’s office this year, the gubernatorial race this November will be uncontested. A recent polling average from RealClearPolitics shows Benson ahead of James at 47.3% to 40%.
