Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, announced Wednesday that he's launching an independent campaign for governor of Michigan, shaking up the early stages of the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2026.
"I'm not running to be the Democrats' governor or the Republicans' governor. I'm running to be your governor," Duggan said in a video he posted announcing his campaign.
He also derided what he called "the political fighting and the nonsense that once held Detroit back," which, he said, "is too often what we're seeing in Michigan today."
"The current system forces people to choose sides, not find solutions. I want to see if I can change that," he added.
In his launch video, Duggan pointed to a particular instance when he broke with his current party on policy, telling viewers, "I was always keenly aware my approach didn't fit comfortably inside the dogma of either of the two political parties."
He went on to cite his support for civil rights, reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights, adding, "But when the calls mounted to defund the police, I angered some in my own party by giving Detroit police officers a well-deserved $10,000 raise and putting 300 more officers on the street."
Duggan is the first major candidate — Republican, Democratic or independent — to launch a campaign for governor in what's expected to be one of the most closely watched state races in the country in 2026.
Whitmer, the current governor, is serving her second term and isn’t eligible to run for re-election. She is widely considered to be a potential presidential contender in 2028.
Michigan has been one of the most closely divided states in recent national elections. President-elect Donald Trump won the state this year after having lost it narrowly in 2020.
The Democratic primary in Michigan is shaping up to be crowded, with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, state Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow all among the contenders topping lists of potential candidates.
Benson, who gained national prominence in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, hasn't publicly commented on a potential run since last year, when she told WJBK-TV of Detroit, "It is something that I will look closely at with my family.”
Buttigieg, who ran for president in 2020 leaning on his work as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, told The Associated Press last month that he would decide "how to make myself useful" after the presidential election, dodging a specific question about the Michigan governor's race. Buttigieg moved to the Traverse City area, and Michigan is the home state of his husband, Chasten Buttigieg.
On the Republican side, Tudor Dixon, the GOP nominee for governor in 2022, hasn't ruled out another run in 2026, telling WJBK in August, "You know what, ’26 is always in the back of my mind, but right now we’re focused on ’24.”
Others mentioned as potential candidates for governor include members of the state's congressional delegation, like GOP Reps. John James and Lisa McClain, though neither have publicly expressed interest in running.
