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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/13/2026 |
Emerson College
for Nexstar | WOOD TV 8 |
519 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Kim Thomas (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
Kevin Hogan (D)
Marni Sawicki (D)
|
| 3/29/2026 | Impact Research | 800 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 3/26/2026 | 1892 Polling | 600 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Ralph Rebandt (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
|
| 3/24/2026 | Michigan State University Institute for Public Policy and Social Research/YouGov | 1,000 A |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 3/23/2026 | JMC Enterprises | 450 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
|
| 3/19/2026 | OnMessage Inc. | 509 LV |
John James (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
|
| 2/16/2026 | Impact Research | 800 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 2/2/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Detroit Regional Chamber |
— LV |
Mike Duggan (I)
John James (R)
Jocelyn Benson (D)
|
| 1/6/2026 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Detroit News | WDIV-TV |
600 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Mike Duggan (I)
Tom Leonard (R)
|
| 11/21/2025 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
261 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Garlin Gilchrist (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
|
| 11/21/2025 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
616 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 11/21/2025 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
255 LV |
John James (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Ralph Rebandt (R)
|
| 11/11/2025 |
EPIC-MRA
for ABC 12 |
600 LV |
John James (R)
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 10/25/2025 | Rosetta Stone | 252 LV |
John James (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Kevin Rinke (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
Ralph Rebandt (R)
|
| 10/25/2025 | Rosetta Stone | 287 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Garlin Gilchrist (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
|
| 10/25/2025 | Rosetta Stone | 637 LV |
John James (R)
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 10/14/2025 | Schoen Cooperman Research | 600 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 10/9/2025 |
The Tyson Group
for Plymouth Union Public Advocacy |
600 LV |
Generic Republican (R)
Generic Democrat (D)
Generic Candidate (O)
|
| 10/9/2025 |
The Tyson Group
for Plymouth Union Public Advocacy |
200 LV |
John James (R)
Mike Cox (R)
|
| 10/6/2025 | Impact Research | 453 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Garlin Gilchrist (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
|
| 5/8/2025 |
Glengariff Group, Inc.
for Detroit Regional Chamber |
600 RV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 3/13/2025 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
688 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
John James (R)
Mike Duggan (I)
|
| 3/13/2025 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
281 LV |
John James (R)
Tudor Dixon (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Tom Leonard (R)
|
| 3/13/2025 |
Mitchell Research & Communications
for MIRS News Service |
303 LV |
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Garlin Gilchrist (D)
Chris Swanson (D)
|
| 3/6/2025 |
Target Insyght
for MIRS News Service |
336 RV |
John James (R)
Aric Nesbitt (R)
Mike Cox (R)
Perry Johnson (R)
|