Jocelyn Benson Wins Michigan Governor Race, Keeping Key 2028 Certifying Role for Democrats
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 4
Jocelyn Benson Wins Michigan Governor Race, Keeping Key 2028 Certifying Role for Democrats
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 4
Summary
Jocelyn Benson won Michigan’s governor’s race, defeating Republican Representative John James and preserving Democratic control of a battleground state executive office.
The 49-year-old secretary of state will succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in January, after a campaign shaped by voter anger over living costs and prices.
Benson tied James to Trump-era policies while attacking tariffs on Canada that have hit Michigan’s auto industry, and she pledged to pursue cross-border agreements with Canada.
Her victory also puts a former chief elections officer who defended Michigan’s 2020 results against fraud claims in charge of signing the state’s presidential elector certification.
The result makes Benson the first Democrat since the 1960s to succeed a fellow Democratic Michigan governor and the state’s third woman governor.