Jocelyn Benson
Governor · Michigan · Governor-elect
Open seatWon open seat replacing Whitmer; unofficial Wikipedia tally 2,594,262 (54.6%) to John James 2,079,333 (43.7%). Raised $16,700,000; COH $681,000.
Election
2026-11-03. Votes 2,594,262 (54.6%). Opponent: John James (R). Previous officeholder: Gretchen Whitmer (D). Status in file: yes.
Money reported in the file
Raised $16,700,000. Cash on hand $681,000 as of 2026-10. Outside for $507,000; against $0.
campaign-finance disclosure sites: $16.7M raised through Oct 18, 2026 (MI Bureau filings)
Documented ties (21)
| Relationship | Amount | Date | Evidence | Source | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| principal campaign committee | — | 2025-2026 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | Jocelyn Benson for Governor (MI Bureau of Elections) (Campaign site) |
| elected Nov 3, 2026 (unofficial) | $2,594,262 | 2026-11-03 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | Governor of Michigan |
| general-election opponent(s) | $2,079,333 | 2026-11-03 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | John James (R) (Campaign site) |
| previous officeholder / seat context | — | 2026 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | Gretchen Whitmer (D) (Government site) |
| total raised / received (campaign-finance disclosure sites: $16.7M raised through Oct 18, 2026 (MI Bure) | $16,700,000 | 2026 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson for Governor (MI Bureau of Elections) (Campaign site) | Jocelyn Benson |
| cash on hand ($681K cash on hand through Oct 18, 2026 (PaidForPo) | $681,000 | 2026-10 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson for Governor (MI Bureau of Elections) (Campaign site) | Jocelyn Benson |
| independent expenditure / outside ads supporting | $400,000 | 2025-2026 | Reported | American Energy Action Fund (IE supporting) (Organization site) | Jocelyn Benson |
| independent expenditure / outside ads supporting | $80,000 | 2025-2026 | Reported | Progress Michigan Political Action Fund (IE supporting) | Jocelyn Benson |
| independent expenditure / outside ads supporting | $26,513 | 2025-2026 | Reported | Michigan Action / Farm PAC share of mail & ads (IE supporting) | Jocelyn Benson |
| independent expenditures supporting (estimate from press/FEC) | $400,000 | 2026 | Reported | American Energy Action Fund | Jocelyn Benson |
| independent expenditures supporting (estimate from press/FEC) | $80,000 | 2026 | Reported | Progress Michigan Political Action Fund | Jocelyn Benson |
| independent expenditures supporting (estimate from press/FEC) | $26,513 | 2026 | Reported | Michigan Action / Farm PAC (shared mail/ads; Benson share) | Jocelyn Benson |
| independent expenditures supporting opponent (context) | $3,330,937 | 2026 | Reported | Mission Michigan (for John James — opponent context) | John James (R) (Campaign site) |
| incumbent SoS (elected 2018, re-elected 2022) | — | 2019 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | Michigan Secretary of State (Government site) |
| dean 2012–2016 | — | 2012-2016 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | Wayne State University Law School (Organization site) |
| succeeding term-limited governor | — | 2026-11-03 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | Gretchen Whitmer (D) (Government site) |
| Democratic lieutenant-governor running mate | — | 2026 | Reported | Jocelyn Benson | Winnie Brinks (Government site) |
| VP; husband; pledged recusal from state projects if Benson elected | — | 2025-11 | Reported | Ryan Friedrichs | Related Companies / Related Digital |
| owner described as large Benson donor (Advance); amount not itemized here | — | — | Inferred | Related Companies (Organization site) | Jocelyn Benson for Governor (Campaign site) |
| both newly elected Democratic governors Nov 3, 2026 (roster; not a shared-donor finding) | — | 2026-11-03 | Inferred | Jocelyn Benson | Gina Hinojosa |
| both newly elected Democratic governors Nov 3, 2026 (roster; not a shared-donor finding) | — | 2026-11-03 | Inferred | Jocelyn Benson | Helena Foulkes |
Ties are documented relationships and amounts from public records. They are not allegations of wrongdoing. Vote totals are unofficial until certification. This printable summary is generated from the public CSV. It is not the PDF dossier (pdfs/benson/Benson_Know_Your_Politician_2026-11-05.pdf).