ONWARD AND UPWARD
As Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited in 2026, the rumor mill has been working overtime on both the Democrat and Republican sides over who will likely run to fill Big Gretch’s leather jacket. While not official, we’ve received confirmation from lots of big honchos that Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is planning a statewide run for the office. At a Joint Action Pac for Political Affairs (JAC PAC) at a private home in Oakland County in late November, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, who is term-limited in her current position, announced she will be running to replace Whitmer. Look for more announcements from others who are term limited – it’s presumed to be a crowded field on the Dem side, with Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II and Attorney General Dana Nessel possibly joining the race, along with state Senator (and rising national star) Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak, Birmingham, Detroit) and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. After a crowded Republican field in 2022, expect the same in 2026, with only perennial self-funding candidate Perry Johnson of Bloomfield Township so far talking about running.