Michigan governor's race 2026
Our 21-day average puts John James at 43.9%, Jocelyn Benson at 51.4%, Aric Nesbitt at 4.3%, Mike Cox at 16.9%, based on 79 polls ending between 1/19/2025 and 10/27/2026. Dots on the chart are individual polls; the line is the rolling average. How to read these numbers.
Michigan governor's race 2026 over time
79 polls · 21-day rolling average · dots are individual polls
John James 43.9%
Jocelyn Benson 51.4%
Aric Nesbitt 4.3%
Mike Cox 16.9%
View data as table
| Choice | Latest average | Polls | Latest poll |
|---|---|---|---|
| John James | 43.9% | 63 | 10/27/2026 |
| Jocelyn Benson | 51.4% | 55 | 10/27/2026 |
| Aric Nesbitt | 4.3% | 23 | 7/27/2026 |
| Mike Cox | 16.9% | 23 | 7/27/2026 |
Average result
Unweighted mean across 79 matching polls
View data as table
| Choice | % |
|---|---|
| John James | 38.1% |
| Jocelyn Benson | 46.9% |
| Mike Cox | 12.4% |
| Aric Nesbitt | 7.9% |
| Perry Johnson | 21.4% |
| Mike Duggan | 21.9% |
| Tom Leonard | 4.3% |
| Chris Swanson | 7% |
Individual polls (79)
| End date | Pollster | Sample | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/29/2026 | Mitchell Research & Communications | 672 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
|
| 7/29/2026 | Mitchell Research & Communications | 672 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Perry Johnson (R)
|
| 7/27/2026 |
Emerson College
for WLNS TV 6 | WOOD TV 8 |
350 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
|
| 7/24/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Michigan Education Association, Business Leaders for Michigan |
600 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Perry Johnson (R)
|
| 7/24/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Michigan Education Association, Business Leaders for Michigan |
600 LV |
John James (R)
Jocelyn Benson (D)
|
| 7/16/2026 | co/efficient | 773 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
|
| 7/11/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Detroit News | WDIV-TV |
500 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
|
| 7/3/2026 | co/efficient | 1,101 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
|
| 6/30/2026 | OnMessage Inc. | 800 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
|
| 6/14/2026 | Strategic National | 500 LV |
Perry Johnson (R)
John James (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
|
| 6/14/2026 | Susquehanna Polling & Research, Inc. | 175 LV |
John James (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Anthony Hudson (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Ralph Rebandt (R)
|
| 6/13/2026 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
827 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
|
| 6/13/2026 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
404 LV |
John James (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
|
| 6/4/2026 |
Tarrance Group
for Mission Michigan |
600 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
|
| 5/23/2026 |
TIPP Insights
for League of American Workers |
1,163 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
|
| 5/23/2026 |
TIPP Insights
for League of American Workers |
1,456 RV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
|
| 5/14/2026 | 1892 Polling | 681 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Mike Cox (R)
|
| 5/7/2026 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
606 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 5/7/2026 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
400 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Anthony Hudson (R)
Ralph Rebandt (R)
|
| 5/7/2026 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
405 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
|
| 5/1/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Detroit Regional Chamber |
600 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 4/24/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Detroit Regional Chamber |
500 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
Ralph Rebandt (R)
|
| 4/19/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Detroit Regional Chamber |
500 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
|
| 4/18/2026 | OnMessage Inc. | 400 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
|
| 4/13/2026 |
Emerson College
for Nexstar | WOOD TV 8 |
452 LV |
Perry Johnson (R)
John James (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Ralph Rebandt (R)
Joyce Gipson (R)
Evan Space (R)
Karla Wagner (R)
|