THE FINAL FIELD

With the exit of Garland Gilchrist from the gubernatorial contest for 2026, the final list of contenders seems to be shaping up. Left at this point on the Democratic side at Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, although some are placing bets that the latter may well decide in coming months to also consider withdrawing due lack of traction at this point in the race. Of course, former Detroit mayor Mike Duggan will stay the course given that polling showing him as well positioned as the two major party candidates. But over on the Republican side, there are over a half dozen wannabes at this point in time. There’s second-term Congressman John James; former Michigan attorney General Mike Cox, who ran in 2010; former Speaker of the House Tom Leonard; Michigan State Senator Aric Nesbitt; and Anthony Hudson who moved here from Texas in 2012 and ran in the 2024 Republican primary for a U.S. House seat. We still list chaplain Ralph Rembrandt, who says he is still running but he, and a few other lesser-known candidates, have been left off the invitation lists to GOP events of late. Still unknown at this writing are the plans of Bloomfield Hills millionaire Perry Johnson who ran in 2022. He should be about 78 years of age this year and although he was present last year at the Mackinac Island gathering of possible contenders, not much has been heard recently from his camp. Then there is the question of Bloomfield Township businessman Kevin Rinke, of the Rinke automotive firm fame, who was also at the Republican island get-together. Party insiders say that the word on the street is he won’t be running. Keep in mind that both these two possible candidates could easily self-fund a run for the state’s top spot.

Perry Johnson

Kevin Rinke