Democrat Jocelyn Benson won Michigan’s governor’s race, defeating Republican John James, according to The Associated Press.
AP called the race at 1:45 a.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 4. Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, will succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
As of AP’s 10:33 a.m. EST update, Benson had 2,591,316 votes, or 54.5%, compared with James’ 2,078,052 votes, or 43.7%. AP estimated that 97% of votes had been counted.
AP has declared Benson the winner. Vote totals remain unofficial and may change as additional ballots are counted.
Michigan governor results
The following figures appeared in AP’s 10:33 a.m. EST update Nov. 4:
Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Jocelyn Benson — AP winner | Democratic | 2,591,316 | 54.5% |
John James | Republican | 2,078,052 | 43.7% |
Anthony Hudson | Libertarian | 44,116 | 0.9% |
Donna Brandenburg | U.S. Taxpayers | 19,990 | 0.4% |
Green Party candidate Douglas Campbell also appeared on the ballot, according to the Michigan Department of State’s candidate list. His total was not included in the available AP excerpt. The table therefore does not represent all votes cast in the race.
Benson led James by 513,264 votes in that update. AP’s estimated share of votes counted is not a precinct reporting percentage.
What’s next
Benson will take office after Whitmer completes her second term. Her running mate is state Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, according to the state’s official candidate list.
The next administration’s decisions on public school funding, housing and energy policy will affect Ann Arbor residents alongside communities across Michigan.
During the campaign, Benson proposed changing how schools are funded and establishing a minimum teacher salary of $60,000. She also called for a statewide moratorium on new data center development, according to Bridge Michigan’s election preview.
Those proposals were campaign commitments and would require further government action to take effect.
The candidates
Benson was elected secretary of state in 2018 and reelected in 2022. She served as Michigan’s chief elections administrator during the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, according to AP’s race guide.
James represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. His official congressional biography describes his service as an Army aviation officer and his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
His running mate was state Rep. Jay DeBoyer, according to the state’s candidate list. James sought the governorship rather than House reelection.
Also on the ballot
Michigan voters also considered two statewide proposals, according to the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
Proposal 1 asked whether Michigan should convene elected delegates in 2027 to draft a general revision of the state constitution for voters to approve or reject.
Proposal 2 would restrict campaign contributions from certain regulated utilities, government contractors and substantially connected people and organizations. It would also expand rules governing political communications and donor disclosure.
How to track results
Readers can follow additional returns through AP’s Michigan governor results tracker and the Michigan Secretary of State’s election results page.
AP’s race call is separate from the official canvassing and certification process. Vote totals remain unofficial until that process is complete. This article will be updated as additional totals become available.
