OAN Staff Lillian Mann
8:29 AM – Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has won Michigan's gubernatorial election, defeating her GOP opponent John James and keeping the Wolverine State blue.
On Tuesday, Benson (D-Mich.) triumphed over James (R-Mich.) receiving 2,594,098 votes or 54%, while James received 2,079,333 votes or 43%, according to the Associated Press when 91% of the total votes were counted.
Benson is an American attorney, author, and politician who has served as Michigan's 43rd Secretary of State since 2019. Prior to taking state office, she served as the dean of Wayne State University Law School, becoming one of the youngest law school deans in the nation. Building on her background in election administration and civil rights, she launched a gubernatorial campaign that focused on lowering costs and improving economic affordability for Michigan families, per her campaign site.
GOP critics have targeted her record on voting administrative policies, government transparency and oversight.
James is an American politician, businessman and military veteran who has represented Michigan's 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023. Before entering public office, he served eight years in the U.S. Army as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer leading Apache helicopter platoons in Operation Iraqi Freedom, later returning home to lead his family's logistics business, according to his campaign site.
Benson will be filling former Governor Gretchen Whitmer's (D-Mich.) seat. Whitmer did not run for reelection as she had reached her term limit after two consecutive terms.
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