Jocelyn Benson, John James set to face each other for Michigan governor
Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James won their respective primaries Tuesday night. Benson, the secretary of state, leads James by an average of 7.3 percentage points in recent polling.
Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James are set to face each other in November’s general election to become Michigan’s next governor, with both winning their respective primaries Tuesday night.
Benson, the current secretary of state, defeated Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, according to an AP News race call at 9:02 p.m. EST. As of 9:30 p.m. EST, Benson led with 85% of the vote.
James, a congressman in the state’s 10th Congressional District, defeated businessman and former presidential candidate Perry Johnson, according to a Decision Desk race call at 9:14 p.m. EST. As of 9:30 p.m. EST, James led with 51% of the vote compared to Johnson’s 36%.
Current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is term-limited, meaning she could not run again.
Early in the Democratic primary, frontrunner Benson comfortably led over both Swanson and current Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D). Once Gilchrist dropped out of the race in January to instead run for secretary of state, Benson seemed certain to win as one of the leading voices for Michigan Democrats.
As Michigan’s secretary of state, Benson actively spoke out against numerous far-right conspiracy theories and threats of violence against her after overseeing the 2020 presidential election, where President Joe Biden narrowly won the state. Formerly the youngest female law school dean in American history, Benson’s gubernatorial campaign focuses on affordability, housing access and developing renewable energy infrastructure to lower energy costs. She also pledged to be more critical than current Democratic proposals regarding AI data centers, even as her husband works to bring a massive one to the state.
James, a two-term congressman, battled in a tough Republican primary over Johnson and former state attorney general Mike Cox. James and Cox repeatedly traded blows until President Donald Trump endorsed the congressman, pushing Cox out of the race last month. In return, James has platformed Trump’s repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
The congressman and former businessman and Army captain is currently weathering numerous criticisms about his relationships with Chinese manufacturing and his flip-flopping on anti-abortion stances. James would also become the first Black governor of Michigan if elected, but one early poll from March showed a shocking 0% support from Black Michiganders.
Current polling shows Benson as a clear frontrunner; she leads over James by an average of 7.3 percentage points, according to RealClear Polling.
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