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Michigan Governor Race

2026 Election • Open Seat (Term Limited)
Back to Governor Races

Primary

Primary election: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 in 14 days

Full calendar and every race: Michigan primary guide

Race Overview

Incumbent
OPEN (Gretchen Whitmer)
Party
Democrat
Open Seat
Yes
Current Rating
Likely D our polls experts: Toss-up
Term Limited
Yes
Polls
6 polls

PollingSource Rating

Likely D
Our polling average D+9.2 · 6 polls

General Election Polling Trend

PollingSource average — trailing average of all polls from the last 90 days.

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Expert Ratings

Consensus Rating

Toss-up

Individual forecaster ratings will be updated as they become available.

Candidates

General Election Polling Average

Democrat
41.0%
Republican
31.8%
Margin
D+9.2
Last Poll
Jun 13, 2026

Average reflects all polls from the last 90 days; table shows the most recent 30 days or the newest 3 polls, whichever is more — subscribe for the full history. How accurate is each pollster? →

PollsterDateSampleMoEDemRep
Mitchell Research 2026-06-13 827 LV ±3.40 Jocelyn Benson 48.00% Mike Cox 41.00%
Mitchell Research 2026-05-23 1456 RV ±2.70 Jocelyn Benson 46.00% John James 35.00%
TIPP Insights (R) partisan·R ±2.5 2026-05-23 1456 RV ±2.70 Jocelyn Benson 46.00% John James 35.00%

Questions About This Race

Who is winning the 2026 Michigan governor's race?

Jocelyn Benson leads Mike Cox 41% to 31.8% in the PollingSource polling average — a D+9.2 margin based on 6 polls from the last 90 days.

Is the 2026 Michigan governor's race competitive?

It is not considered a top-tier battleground: the PollingSource polling average rates it Likely D, meaning Democrats are clearly favored but an upset is not impossible.

What does the latest poll of the 2026 Michigan governor's race say?

The most recent public poll, from Mitchell Research (completed June 13, 2026), found Jocelyn Benson (D) at 48% and Mike Cox (R) at 41%.

When is the 2026 Michigan governor's race decided?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

How is the PollingSource average calculated?

The PollingSource average is the unweighted mean of every scientific public poll of the race from the last 90 days — we do not exclude pollsters. Each race page lists the individual polls behind the average with pollster, field dates, sample size, and margin of error. Full details: pollingsource.com/methodology.

Race Notes

Term-limited, open seat

Race News