Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Michigan’s 2026 general election.
A sourced guide to the candidates, offices, districts, statewide institutions, ballot questions, and voting deadlines for Michigan’s November 3 general election.
Michigan State Capitol, Lansing. Original footage recorded by Michigan Republican Primary.
The statewide ballot
On November 3, Michigan will elect a governor, U.S. senator, secretary of state, attorney general, 13 U.S. representatives, 38 state senators, 110 state representatives, and two Supreme Court justices—and decide two statewide proposals.
The governor and lieutenant governor appear as a ticket. Voters will also fill seats on the State Board of Education and the governing boards of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University.
Republican candidates are presented first when Republican and Democratic nominees appear together, reflecting this publication’s subject focus. Every active candidate in the state’s official listing remains included in the complete record.
Michigan will elect a governor, U.S. senator, secretary of state, and attorney general
Every U.S. House district has an election
Every Michigan Senate district has an election
Every Michigan House district has an election
Two statewide proposals appear on the final ballot
Voting calendar
Online and mail registration closes October 19; mandatory early voting runs October 24–November 1.
Michigan voters can check registration, view a sample ballot, locate a clerk or voting site, request or track an absentee ballot, and review accessible-voting information through the Michigan Voter Information Center.
Military and overseas ballots must be available by September 19
Federal deadline for ballots to be available to military and overseas voters.
Absentee ballots become available to voters on September 24
Every registered Michigan voter may vote absentee without providing a reason.
New voter registrations must be completed in person after October 19
Later registrations must be completed in person with the appropriate city or township clerk and proof of residency.
Statewide early voting runs October 24 through November 1
The constitutionally required statewide period continues through November 1.
Election Day polls close at 8 p.m. local time, and voters in line may vote
Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. local time. Voters waiting in line when polls close may remain and vote.
Governor
John James and Jocelyn Benson are the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor.
Michigan elects the governor and lieutenant governor together for a four-year term. The Republican and Democratic tickets receive the principal presentation; every other active ticket remains visible below.
Republican ticket
John James Republican nominee for governor · Jay DeBoyer is the lieutenant governor nominee
James currently represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. His official House biography records eight years of active-duty Army service and later leadership of Michigan-based logistics companies. Republican primary voters selected James on August 4; convention delegates nominated DeBoyer on August 22.
Democratic ticket
Jocelyn Benson Democratic nominee for governor · Winnie Brinks is the lieutenant governor nominee
Benson is Michigan’s 43rd secretary of state and has served in the office since 2019; her official state biography also records prior service as dean of Wayne State University Law School. Democratic primary voters selected Benson on August 4, and the Michigan Democratic Party nominated Brinks at its state convention.
Three additional 3rd party combinations also appear on the ballot
- Anthony Hudson / Beau ParmenterLibertarian Party
- Donna Brandenburg / Robert Donald Cowper IIU.S. Taxpayers Party
- Douglas Campbell / Bobbie ClayGreen Party
The Board of State Canvassers certified the August 4 primary results on August 24
The governor directs the executive branch, proposes the state budget, may sign or veto legislation, and appoints officials where authorized. The lieutenant governor presides over the Michigan Senate and is first in the constitutional line of succession to the governorship.
The Board of State Canvassers certified the August 4 primary returns and nominees on August 24. Voters cast one vote for the joint ticket.
United States Senate
Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed are the Republican and Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate.
Michigan is electing one United States senator to a six-year term. No incumbent appears in the official general-election field.
Republican nominee
Mike Rogers Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan
Rogers represented Michigan’s 8th Congressional District from 2001 through 2015 and chaired the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during the 112th and 113th Congresses. He is the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat.
Democratic nominee
Abdul El-Sayed Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan
El-Sayed is a physician and epidemiologist who formerly served as executive director of the Detroit Health Department. He is the Democratic nominee for the open Senate seat.
Four additional U.S. Senate candidates also appear on the ballot
- Lydia ChristensenLibertarian Party
- Tim LongU.S. Taxpayers Party
- Douglas P. MarshGreen Party
- Walter P. KristyNatural Law Party
Michigan’s elected U.S. senator will serve a six-year term
The winner will represent Michigan in the 100-member United States Senate. The Senate considers federal legislation, confirms presidential nominees where the Constitution requires Senate consent, and tries federal impeachment cases.
Statewide offices
Michigan will elect a secretary of state and attorney general to four-year terms.
The two offices have distinct constitutional and statutory responsibilities. Both parties nominated their November candidates through convention processes.
Secretary of state
The department administers statewide election responsibilities, maintains the Qualified Voter File, supports the Board of State Canvassers, oversees campaign-finance disclosure systems, and provides driver, identification, vehicle-title, and registration services.
Republican nominee
Anthony G. Forlini is the Republican nominee for Michigan secretary of state.
Democratic nominee
Garlin Gilchrist II is the Democratic nominee for Michigan secretary of state.
Also on the ballot
- Christine SloanLibertarian Party
- Scott E. AughneyU.S. Taxpayers Party
- Eric BorregardGreen Party
Attorney general
The attorney general is Michigan’s chief legal officer. The department represents the state in civil and criminal matters, serves as counsel to state officers and most agencies, assists law-enforcement authorities, issues formal legal opinions when requested by authorized officials, and enforces consumer-protection laws.
Republican nominee
Doug Lloyd is the Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general.
Democratic nominee
Eli Savit is the Democratic nominee for Michigan attorney general.
Also on the ballot
- Jason DyeLibertarian Party
- John Perry Ludtke Jr.U.S. Taxpayers Party
- Jeff PolonowskiGreen Party
- Doug DernNatural Law Party
Michigan limits the secretary of state and attorney general to two four-year terms in each office
The secretary of state and attorney general are elected statewide in the same general election as the governor. Michigan’s constitution limits each officeholder to two four-year terms in that office.
Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan voters will elect two Supreme Court justices from a six-candidate field.
The court is Michigan’s highest court. Voters may select up to two candidates, and each seat carries an eight-year term.
Republican-nominated slate
Michigan Republicans nominated Michael Warren and Casandra Morse-Bills for two Supreme Court seats
Republican convention delegates formally nominated Warren and Morse-Bills on August 22. The party had endorsed both candidates at its March 28 endorsement convention.
Democratic-nominated slate
Michigan Democrats nominated Megan Kathleen Cavanagh and Noah P. Hood for two Supreme Court seats
The Michigan Democratic Party formally nominated Cavanagh and Hood. The state candidate listing marks both as incumbents.
The U.S. Taxpayers Party identifies Thomas W. Howe and Jody White as its Michigan Supreme Court candidates.
- Thomas W. HoweU.S. Taxpayers Party candidate · nonpartisan ballot
- Jody WhiteU.S. Taxpayers Party candidate · nonpartisan ballot
Supreme Court candidates appear without party labels on the general-election ballot
Michigan political parties nominate Supreme Court candidates, but the candidates appear in the nonpartisan section of the general-election ballot. The nomination descriptions above are not party labels printed beside the candidates’ names on the ballot.
The seven-member court exercises appellate jurisdiction as provided by court rule, establishes rules of practice and procedure for Michigan courts, and has general superintending control over the state court system.
Statewide education boards
Michigan voters will fill two seats on each of four statewide education governing boards.
Each contest elects two members to eight-year terms. Republican nominees are listed first, followed by Democratic nominees and every additional active candidate.
State Board of Education: Bree Moeggenberg and Terence Collins are the Republican nominees
Republican nominees
Bree Moeggenberg
Terence Collins
Democratic nominees
Judith Pritchett
Tiffany Tilley
Also on the ballot: Charles Essner, Libertarian; William Mohr II and Christine C. Schwartz, U.S. Taxpayers; Wissam Charafeddine, Green; Mary Anne Hering, Working Class; Kelli Monroe, Natural Law.
University of Michigan: Lena Epstein and Michael Schostak are the Republican regent nominees
Republican nominees
Lena Epstein
Michael Schostak
Democratic nominees
Paul Brown
Amir Makled
Also on the ballot: Andrew Chadderdon, Libertarian; Kyle Maas, U.S. Taxpayers.
Michigan State University: Julie Maday and Roger Victory are the Republican trustee nominees
Republican nominees
Julie Maday
Roger Victory
Democratic nominees
Brianna Scott
Kelly Tebay Zemke
Also on the ballot: Daniel R. Patterson and Will Tyler White, Libertarian; Janet Sanger and John Sanger, U.S. Taxpayers; John Anthony La Pietra, Green; Yaz Ozbek, Working Class.
Wayne State University: Andy Anuzis and Christa Murphy are the Republican Board of Governors nominees
Republican nominees
Andy Anuzis
Christa Murphy
Democratic nominees
Shereef Akeel
Richard Mack
Also on the ballot: Alex Avery and Jami Van Alstine, Libertarian; Jeff McDonald, U.S. Taxpayers; Paul M. Ragan, Green; Suzanne Roehrig, Working Class; Kathleen Oakford, Natural Law.
The State Board of Education and university boards exercise distinct constitutional authority
The State Board of Education exercises constitutional leadership and general supervision over public education, subject to the constitutional distinction for degree-granting institutions. The University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University boards each have general supervision of their institution, direct institutional expenditures, and select the university president.
Michigan’s congressional ballot
All thirteen U.S. House districts have an election.
President Donald Trump with Captain Michael Bouchard, Tim Walberg, John James, Lisa McClain, and Tom Barrett at the GM Milford Proving Ground, July 27, 2026. Original Michigan Republican Primary footage.
U.S. House
Michigan’s 13 U.S. House contests are organized around the Republican and Democratic nominees.
Each district elects one representative to a two-year term. Every additional active candidate appears beneath the principal Republican–Democratic matchup.
United States House
Michigan District 07
Incumbent seeking reelection · two-year term
One additional active candidate appears in the complete district entry below.
Candidate source: Michigan Department of State official November 3, 2026 candidate listing, checked September 10. Geometry: Michigan’s 2022–2030 congressional plan. The numbered controls provide the keyboard and text equivalent.
MI—01
Jack Bergman is the Republican incumbent in Michigan’s 1st Congressional District
Callie Barr is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 1st Congressional District
Also on the ballotArnett Satterla, Libertarian; Doc Kovaly, U.S. Taxpayers; LaVeta Davenport, Green; Liz Hakola, Working Class; Zebulon Featherly, no party affiliation.
MI—02
John Moolenaar is the Republican incumbent in Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District
Ben Ambrose is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District
Also on the ballotCharlotte Magoon, Green; Richard Sills, Natural Law.
MI—03
Terri DeBoer is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District
Hillary Scholten is the Democratic incumbent in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District
Also on the ballotJoe Jock, Green.
MI—04
Bill Huizenga is the Republican incumbent in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District
Sean McCann is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District
Also on the ballotShafina Che Barnett, Green.
MI—05
Tim Walberg is the Republican incumbent in Michigan’s 5th Congressional District
Christian Vukasovich is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 5th Congressional District
Also on the ballotRonald A Muszynski, Libertarian; Sharon Marie Renier, U.S. Taxpayers; Jim Bronke, Green.
MI—06
Heather Smiley is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District
Debbie Dingell is the Democratic incumbent in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District
Also on the ballotTimothy A. Teagan, Libertarian; Mike Mickevicius, U.S. Taxpayers; Clyde Shabazz, Green; Linda Rayburn, Working Class.
MI—07
Tom Barrett is the Republican incumbent in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
William Lawrence is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
Also on the ballotShane Dedrick, Green. Felix Thibodeau, Working Class, is marked disqualified in the state report and is excluded from the active field.
MI—08
Thomas J. Smith is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District
Kristen McDonald Rivet is the Democratic incumbent in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District
Also on the ballotC. Mia Pettus, Libertarian; Jim Casha, Green; Kathy Goodwin, Working Class.
MI—09
Lisa McClain is the Republican incumbent in Michigan’s 9th Congressional District
Ray Pooley is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 9th Congressional District
Also on the ballotKevin Vayko, Libertarian; John Vlahos, U.S. Taxpayers; Destiny Clayton, Green; Jim Walkowicz, Working Class.
MI—10
Michael Bouchard is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s open 10th Congressional District
Open seatChristina Bertrand Hines is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s open 10th Congressional District
Open seatAlso on the ballotMike Saliba, Libertarian; Kwabena Nkromo, Green; Andrea L. Kirby, Working Class.
MI—11
Ethan Baker is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s open 11th Congressional District
Open seatJeremy Moss is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s open 11th Congressional District
Open seatAlso on the ballotFarid Ishac, Libertarian; Ryan Teasdale, Green; Anil Kumar, no party affiliation.
MI—12
James D. Hooper is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District
Rashida Tlaib is the Democratic incumbent in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District
Also on the ballotMarc Joseph Sosnowski, U.S. Taxpayers; Brenda K. Sanders, Green; Gary Walkowicz, Working Class.
MI—13
T.P. Nykoriak is the Republican nominee in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District
No incumbent in the active fieldDonavan McKinney is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District
No incumbent in the active fieldAlso on the ballotChris Dardzinski, U.S. Taxpayers; Raelyn Light, Green; Simone R. Coleman, Working Class. D. Etta Wilcoxon, Shelby Campbell, and Maurice Morton are marked disqualified and are excluded from the active field.
Captain Michael Bouchard is the MI-10 candidate, not Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard
The Republican nominee in MI-10 is the Army National Guard officer whose campaign identifies him as Captain Mike Bouchard. He is the son of—and not the same person as—Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
38 Senate districts · 110 House districts
The Michigan Legislature.
Capitol Avenue and West Allegan Street, Lansing, with the Michigan State Capitol dome. Original footage recorded by Michigan Republican Primary.
Michigan Legislature
Michigan’s 2026 general election will choose 38 state senators and 110 state representatives.
Every Michigan Senate and Michigan House district is on the November ballot. The complete directory below contains every active legislative candidate in the state record.
Michigan state senators serve four-year terms, and state representatives serve two-year terms
The Legislature passes state laws, appropriates public funds, conducts oversight of the executive branch, and—through the Senate—provides advice and consent on appointments where required.
Statewide ballot questions
Two statewide questions appear on Michigan’s final 2026 ballot.
Proposal 1 concerns a constitutional convention. Proposal 2 is an initiated law addressing specified campaign contributions and disclosure rules for additional political communications.
Proposal 1
Proposal 1 asks whether Michigan should convene a constitutional convention in 2027.
Official title: A proposal to convene a constitutional convention for the purpose of drafting a general revision of the state constitution.
Official question: “Shall a convention of elected delegates be convened in 2027 to draft a general revision of the State Constitution for presentation to the state’s voters for their approval or rejection?”
Michigan’s constitution requires voters to be asked periodically whether a convention should be called. This is not a vote to adopt a particular replacement constitution. Any resulting document would return to voters for approval or rejection.
A convention of elected delegates would be called in 2027.
No convention would be called as a result of this question.
Proposal 2
Proposal 2 would restrict certain campaign contributions and extend disclosure rules to additional political communications.
Official title: A proposed initiated law to prohibit campaign contributions from certain regulated utilities and government contractors and apply campaign finance laws and regulations to additional types of political communications.
The proposal addresses specified regulated electric and gas utilities, government contractors receiving more than $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people or organizations with substantial connections to those utilities or contractors. It also extends specified regulation and donor-disclosure requirements to additional political communications.
The official ballot document—not this summary—controls the exact legal wording.
The proposed contribution restrictions and expanded communication rules would become state law.
The proposed initiated law would not be adopted.
Polling and ratings
Polling and outside ratings are dated, attributed snapshots rather than official election records.
A poll reports responses from a defined sample during a field period. A rating is a publisher’s assessment of competitiveness. Neither changes the official candidate field.
Post-primary statewide polling tests Mike Rogers against Abdul El-Sayed.
Nine publicly released statewide surveys located through current polling indexes test the Republican and Democratic nominees. Candidate order follows this publication’s Republican-first convention; visual weight remains equal.
| Pollster and sponsor | Field dates | Sample | Mike Rogers Republican | Abdul El-Sayed Democratic | Poll margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar GroupPublic release · Sept. 10 | Sept. 7–9 | 1,079 LV · ±2.9 | 44.8% | 46.3% | D +1.5 |
| CNN / SSRSCNN · released Sept. 9 | Aug. 31–Sept. 6 | 843 LV · ±4.1 | 44% | 47% | D +3 |
| Glengariff GroupDetroit News / WDIV · released Sept. 8 | Aug. 31–Sept. 3 | 600 LV · ±4.0 | 45.8% | 44.4% | R +1.4 |
| Michigan State / YouGovState of the State Survey · released Sept. 1 | Aug. 10–20 | 779 LV · MOE not stated | 45% | 50% | D +5 |
| EPIC-MRAPublic frequency report · Aug. 29 | Aug. 22–28 | 600 LV · ±4.0 | 43% | 47% | D +4 |
| Fabrizio Ward / Impact ResearchAARP · released Aug. 20 | Aug. 9–11 | 877 LV · ±3.3 | 47% | 48% | D +1 |
| Susquehanna Polling & ResearchPollster release · Aug. 18 | Aug. 11–17 | 800 LV · ±3.5 | 39% | 46% | D +7 |
| TIPP InsightsLeague of American Workers · released Aug. 18 | Aug. 6–10 | 1,215 LV · ±2.7 | 42% | 45% | D +3 |
| Beacon Research / Shaw & CompanyFox News · released Aug. 13 | Aug. 6–10 | 1,006 RV · ±3.0 | 51% | 47% | R +4 |
Post-primary statewide polling tests John James against Jocelyn Benson.
Seven publicly released statewide surveys test the major-party nominees for governor. Each row preserves the poll’s stated population and margin of error rather than treating unlike samples as interchangeable.
| Pollster and sponsor | Field dates | Sample | John James Republican | Jocelyn Benson Democratic | Poll margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNN / SSRSCNN · released Sept. 9 | Aug. 31–Sept. 6 | 843 LV · ±4.1 | 41% | 50% | D +9 |
| Glengariff GroupDetroit News / WDIV · released Sept. 8 | Aug. 31–Sept. 3 | 600 LV · ±4.0 | 43% | 47% | D +4 |
| Michigan State / YouGovState of the State Survey · released Sept. 1 | Aug. 10–20 | 779 LV · MOE not stated | 43% | 52% | D +9 |
| EPIC-MRAPublic frequency report · Aug. 29 | Aug. 22–28 | 600 LV · ±4.0 | 41% | 45% | D +4 |
| Fabrizio Ward / Impact ResearchAARP · released Aug. 20 | Aug. 9–11 | 877 LV · ±3.3 | 44% | 49% | D +5 |
| TIPP InsightsLeague of American Workers · released Aug. 18 | Aug. 6–10 | 1,215 LV · ±2.7 | 37% | 53% | D +16 |
| Beacon Research / Shaw & CompanyFox News · released Aug. 13 | Aug. 6–10 | 1,006 RV · ±3.0 | 47% | 52% | D +5 |
Polling inclusion and interpretation
The main ledger includes statewide general-election polls located through current polling indexes, fielded after the August 4 primary, and published with a head-to-head test of the Republican and Democratic nominees. Publicly reported campaign-internal polling should be identified separately rather than mixed into this table.
LV means likely voters; RV means registered voters. A poll margin is the arithmetic difference between the two displayed candidate shares, not a forecast or a declaration that a candidate is ahead outside sampling error. Percentages may not total 100 because of additional candidates, undecided voters, nonresponse, or rounding.
Review the Michigan Senate polling index · Review the Michigan governor polling index
Cook rates the governor race Lean Democratic and MI-10 Toss Up; Inside Elections rates the Senate race and MI-07 Toss-up
As checked September 10, the Cook Political Report rated the open Michigan governor contest Lean Democratic and reported moving MI-10 to Toss Up on September 9. Inside Elections rated Michigan’s open U.S. Senate contest and MI-07 Toss-up in its current Michigan listing.
Those labels are the publishers’ assessments, not official state classifications or election forecasts issued by Michigan election officials.
John James and Jocelyn Benson contest an open governorship rated Lean Democratic by Cook.
The seven post-primary surveys above report margins ranging from four to sixteen percentage points for Benson. Three additional 3rd party combinations also appear on the ballot.
Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed contest an open Senate seat rated Toss-up by Inside Elections.
The nine post-primary surveys above range from a four-point Rogers margin in the Fox News poll to a seven-point El-Sayed margin in the Susquehanna survey. Four additional candidates appear on the ballot.
Tom Barrett and William Lawrence contest Michigan’s 7th District, rated Toss-up by Inside Elections.
Barrett is the Republican incumbent and Lawrence is the Democratic nominee. Shane Dedrick, the Green Party candidate, also appears on the ballot.
Michael Bouchard and Christina Bertrand Hines contest the open 10th District, rated Toss Up by Cook.
Bouchard is the Republican nominee and Hines is the Democratic nominee. Three additional candidates appear on the ballot. The district section links to the site’s separate MI-10 reporting.
Complete candidate directory
The complete candidate directory lists every active candidate in the official state record.
Search by candidate name, office, district, party or nominating affiliation. Republican candidates are ordered before Democratic candidates within the same contest, followed by every additional active candidate.
Candidate records identify the office, district, party or nominating affiliation, filing method, and verification date
Begin typing any part of a candidate name, office, or district. The office and affiliation menus can be used alone or combined with the search field. For Michigan Supreme Court, the affiliation column identifies the nominating party while preserving the candidates’ nonpartisan general-election ballot status.
Withdrawn and disqualified filings are excluded from the active directory
This table contains the 707 records marked active in the September 10 state listing. Known withdrawn or disqualified filings remain documented in the source dataset but are not mixed into the active candidate results.
| Candidate | Office or district | Party nomination or affiliation | Filing method |
|---|---|---|---|
| The complete directory is loading from the dated state record. | |||