Morning Digest: It's game on for one of the biggest races of 2026

A massive horde of contenders wants to succeed Gretchen Whitmer

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is a likely candidate in what could be a packed race for governor of Michigan (Credit: Mayor Mike Duggan Facebook)

Leading Off

MI-Gov

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Wednesday that he would not seek reelection to his current post next year, a move that intensified speculation that he'd instead enter what could be a packed 2026 race to succeed termed-out Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

While Duggan, a Democrat who was first elected mayor in 2013, did not address his future plans, he informed the Detroit Free Press the previous day that he'd say more "in a matter of weeks." Bridge Michigan's Malachi Barrett writes that party insiders think he'll kick off a statewide run "later this year." (We have more below on the 2025 race to replace Duggan.)

The mayor, though, is by no means the only Democrat interested in campaigning to lead this swing state.

Among the many possible contenders is Whitmer's second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, whom the Free Press' M.L. Elrick recently said "is reportedly set on running." Gilchrist, who was elected on Whitmer's ticket in both 2018 and 2022, would be the state's first Black governor.

Like Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is also barred from seeking reelection due to term limits and could seek to move up. Last year, Benson told Fox 2 that she was thinking about running, and Craig Mauger wrote this week in the Detroit News that she's "expected" to get in.

At least one prominent state lawmaker is exploring the idea as well: state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who told Bridge Michigan's Simon Schuster this week that she's considering a bid for Whitmer's job.

McMorrow earned a national following in 2022 for her response to a fundraising email from a Republican colleague in the Senate, Lana Theis, that smeared her as someone who wants to "groom and sexualize kindergartners." Taking to the chamber floor, McMorrow retorted, "I am the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme. Because you can't claim that you are targeting marginalized kids in the name of 'parental rights' if another parent is standing up to say no."

A pair of local officials are also weighing a run. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, whose jurisdiction includes Flint, has repeatedly shown interest since Whitmer's 2022 reelection, and he made it clear last week that he's still thinking about running to replace her.

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, who leads a populous community outside Detroit, is another name to watch. In comments to Bridge Michigan in May, Hackel said his interest in running was "a five" out of 10, though he added that his feelings have fluctuated. While Hackel is a proven vote-getter in a community that backed Donald Trump three times, he's angered Democrats by endorsing Republicans for local office.

Finally, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg didn't rule out a campaign just before Election Day, telling the Associated Press he would soon figure out "how to make myself useful." Buttigieg is a former mayor of South Bend, a small city in neighboring Indiana, but he established residence two years ago in his husband's hometown of Traverse City in northern Michigan. The outgoing secretary would be the state's first gay governor.

Schuster also mentions state House Speaker Joe Tate as a possibility. However, Tate, who decided not to stay on as Democratic leader after his party lost its majority last week, has drawn more attention as a possible candidate to replace Duggan as mayor.

On the Republican side, conservative commentator Tudor Dixon told veteran political writer Tim Skubick in August that she wasn't ruling out another try.

"I've seen what has happened in the last two years and it's pretty devastating," said Dixon, who badly lost to Whitmer in a 54-44 drubbing in 2022.

Skubick also wrote that two other 2022 also-rans, businessmen Kevin Rinke and Perry Johnson, were thinking about taking another shot.

Rinke put out a video in October declaring that the state needs "a gubernatorial candidate with a track record in business leadership." Rinke's past attempt went poorly, though, as he lost the primary to Dixon 41-22. Johnson's fared even worse: He was one of five candidates who failed to even make the ballot after falling victim to a fraudulent petition signature scandal. An undeterred Johnson self-funded a bid for president last year but dropped out after failing to secure a spot on the debate stage.

Another name to watch belongs to Rep. John James, who lost a pair of competitive U.S. Senate races in 2018 and 2020 but bounced back with a successful House bid two years ago. Elrick wrote this week that Republicans may encourage the congressman to campaign for governor following his 51-45 victory over Democrat Carl Marlinga, which was a notable improvement from James' tight 2022 win against the same opponent. James would also be Michigan's first Black chief executive.

State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, meanwhile, told the Detroit News in June, "It's in the conversation" but added, "I might want to talk to my wife first." Nesbitt informed Schuster on Wednesday that he was focused on the remainder of this year's legislative session but said he still plans to discuss the idea with his family.

Even this long list doesn't cover every possibility. In their rundowns this week, Skubick and Mauger lists several other GOP candidates who could run, including:

• Wealthy businessman Dick Devos

• State party chair Pete Hoekstra

• Former state House Speaker Tom Leonard

• Former Rep. Peter Meijer

• Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller

• Former Rep. Mike Rogers

There is no word, however, if any of these would-be contenders are thinking about campaigning for governor, though we're likely to see even more potential candidates surface on both sides ahead of what will be one of the marquee races of 2026.

Thirty-eight states will hold races for governor over the next two years, and we’ll be covering every single competitive contest down to the last detail. If you appreciate our work in leaving no stone unturned, please consider a paid subscription today:

Senate

MA-Sen

Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, who has served in Congress since 1976, unambiguously said "I'm running again" in an interview this week with Bloomberg's Zach Cohen. Markey, who would be seeking a third full term in the Senate, would be 80 on Election Day in 2026.

ME-Sen

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, whose seat will be a top Democratic target in 2026, told reporters on Thursday that "my intention is to run" for a sixth term. The 71-year-old Collins, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, originally pledged to serve only two terms.

NC-Sen

Outgoing Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel, who opted not to run for a second term after Republicans gerrymandered North Carolina's 13th District to be unwinnably red, tells Bloomberg's Zach Cohen that he's targeting a February launch for a bid against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Late last year, after the GOP passed its heavily tilted new congressional map, Nickel teased a Senate bid, saying Republicans "can't gerrymander a statewide election."

Governors

OH-Gov

There are certain to be tons of Republicans interested in succeeding Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine when he's term-limited in two years, but a few Democrats are also making noises.

In comments this week to State Signals, former Rep. Tim Ryan, who lost a bid for Senate against J.D. Vance two years ago, said, "I'm keeping my options open right now."

In addition, physician Amy Acton, who became well-known when she served as DeWine's state health director at the start of the COVID pandemic, told cleveland.com's Jeremy Pelzer over the summer that she's considering a bid. In that same piece, Pezler said state House Minority Leader Allison Russo is also looking at the race.

House

CA-09

Republican Kevin Lincoln has conceded his race against Democratic Rep. Josh Harder in California's 9th District as late-counted ballots failed to close the gap. With about 85% of the estimated vote tallied, Harder leads Lincoln 52-48 for this constituency in the Stockton area.

IA-01

Democrat Christina Bohannan says she will request a recount in her race against Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, whom she trails by 800 votes in Iowa's 1st District. In 2020, when Miller-Meeks first won a seat in Congress, she also faced a recount that cut her 47-vote lead on election night down to just six votes. Barring the discovery of major errors, though, the outcome of this year's race is unlikely to change.

OR-05

Democrat Janelle Bynum has flipped Oregon's 5th Congressional District, per the Associated Press, and is currently beating Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer 48-45 with most votes counted. 

When she's sworn in next year, Bynum will become Oregon's first Black member of Congress. Her win also marks three straight victories over Chavez-DeRemer. Bynum previously defeating her in back-to-back races for a competitive seat in the state House in 2016 and 2018.

TX-10

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was given a misdemeanor charge for public drunkenness after he was detained by police at Virginia's Dulles Airport last week. In a statement, McCaul said he "made a mistake — one for which I take full responsibility." According to the Washington Post, the congressman faces a maximum $250 fine. 

McCaul easily won an 11th term last week by a 64-34 margin in Texas' heavily gerrymandered 10th District outside of Austin.

Mayors & County Leaders

Detroit, MI Mayor

While Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan only just announced that he won't seek a fourth term next year, Motor City politicians have been preparing for an open-seat race for some time. Duggan, a potential Democratic candidate for governor in 2026, had raised little money for a possible reelection bid, so few were surprised by his decision.

All of the candidates looking to succeed Duggan will compete in a nonpartisan primary, which usually takes place in August. The top two contenders will advance to the general election in November 2025 in this heavily Democratic city.

No major names have jumped in just yet, but some eager pols began raising money for exploratory committees months ago, including Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and one of her predecessors, Saunteel Jenkins. Either Sheffield or Jenkins, who left office in 2014 to lead a nonprofit, would be the first woman elected to lead Michigan's largest city.

City Council member Fred Durhal also formed an exploratory committee earlier this year, but the Detroit Free Press' M.L. Elrick wrote this week that "many local politicos expect" him to stay out of the race.

But many others could enter. Political analyst Mario Morrow tells the Detroit News' Louis Aguilar that there's talk that Rep. Shri Thanedar, who represents much of the city in Congress, could go for it. However, Thanedar, who has a history of self-funding millions for his campaigns, has not shown any obvious public interest in such a career switch.

The race to replace Duggan, whose 2013 victory made him the first white mayor of this predominantly Black city in 40 years, could also include the sons and namesakes of its first two Black leaders. Elrick writes that City Council member Coleman Young II, who lost to Duggan in a 2017 landslide, could try once more, though he may prefer to seek reelection and attempt to replace Sheffield as the council's leader. Restaurateur Dennis Archer Jr. also expressed interest in running back in May.

There's speculation as well that state House Speaker Joe Tate, who became the chamber's first Black leader last year, could hop in. That talk only intensified after Michigan Democrats lost their narrow majority in the House last week and Tate decided not to stay on as minority leader. The outgoing speaker did not comment Wednesday when Aguilar asked him if he was thinking about making the race.

City Council member Mary Waters, for her part, told Aguilar that she has "not considered that at all," though she added, "Have I been asked by [a] number of people? Yes." Waters challenged Thanedar in the Democratic primary for the 13th Congressional District earlier this year but lost 55-34 after getting massively outspent.

Morrow also mentions Solomon Kinloch, who is a prominent local pastor, and nonprofit head Portia Roberson, who ran for the 13th District when it was open in 2022. That year, Thanedar beat his nearest opponent, state Sen. Adam Hollier, 28-23, while Roberson finished third with 17%.

While the GOP has almost no presence in Detroit politics, one prominent―albeit very unsuccessful―Republican could get in: former police chief James Craig, who told Amy Barczy of Crain's Detroit Business this week that he was still interested in replacing Duggan, whom he served under for many years.

Craig stepped down in 2021 to seek the GOP nomination to take on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer the following year, but his troubled campaign collapsed after a huge scandal involving fraudulent petition signatures kept him off the primary ballot.

Though Craig went on to take just 2% of the vote as a write-in option, he did not give up on politics. Instead, he launched a bid for the U.S. Senate, though he soon quit the race following another turbulent effort. Not long after his latest failure, however, he began talking about running for Duggan's job. Craig would have to break a long streak, though, if he's to finally succeed: The last Republican to serve as mayor of Detroit, Louis Miriani, left office in 1962.

King County, WA Executive

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced Tuesday that he would not seek a fifth term next year as leader of Washington's largest county, a move that prompted one fellow Democrat to swiftly launch a bid to succeed him.

Immediately after Constantine's announcement, King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci said that she would enter August's nonpartisan primary to lead the loyally blue county, which includes Seattle and several nearby communities.

The Seattle Times' David Gutman writes that Balducci, who would be the first woman to hold this post, has functioned as "a leader of the county's unofficial Democratic majority" even as she's sometimes sided with "the more moderate or right-leaning wing of the council." Balducci, a former mayor of Bellevue, has also been a prominent supporter of a local light rail expansion, with the Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger characterizing her as a "Transit Diehard."

Girmay Zahilay, another Democratic member of the County Council, also said Tuesday that he was "strongly considering" a run and would consult supporters over the next week. Zahilay, who was born in Sudan to refugees from Ethiopia, would be the second Black person to lead King County. The first was Ron Sims, who resigned in 2009 to join the Obama administration shortly before Constantine was first elected.