First Republican Throws Hat In The Ring For 2026 Michigan Governor’s Race

Michigan Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt announced on Tuesday that he is running for governor, becoming the first GOP candidate to enter a 2026 race that promises to be competitive.

Nesbitt, 44, said in a video posted on X that “Michiganders deserve so much better than what they’re getting from these Democrats up in Lansing.” The 2026 race in Michigan will put a new face in the governor’s mansion as Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.

“What we’ve seen is higher taxes, more spending, more debt, and less jobs,” Nesbitt added. “You have Governor Whitmer giving free housing to illegal aliens, backing up the big business interests instead of folks back home that need to be protected. I hear it way too often: small business owners are left behind, our farmers are left behind. They show up and they go to work every day, and we need a governor that’s willing to show up and work just as hard as they are.”

Among his top priorities, Nesbitt called for ending electric vehicle mandates and standing with President-elect Donald Trump to bring back manufacturing jobs to Michigan. The gubernatorial candidate also said he wants to “ban sanctuary cities to make sure that our communities and families are safe.”

It’s time to start putting the people of Michigan first. That’s why I’m running for Governor. Let’s get to work! pic.twitter.com/aZs5S7THhP

— Aric Nesbitt (@aricnesbitt) January 14, 2025

For the past two years, Democrats have controlled the state house and senate in Michigan. However, a Republican wave bolstered by Trump’s victory in the 2024 election put the GOP back in control of the state House, while Democrats hold a narrow majority in the state Senate.

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Republicans have struggled in statewide elections in recent years. Whitmer cruised to re-election victory in the 2022 election, defeating Republican candidate Tudor Dixon by more than 10 points. The Secretary of State and Attorney General positions have also been filled by Democrats since 2019, and Michigan voters elected Democrats to the U.S. Senate in the 2024 and 2022 elections.

Multiple Democrats, including Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, have been floated as possible candidates in the 2026 race. Republicans could see a crowded primary field, which could include Dixon and Kevin Rinke, who also ran for governor in 2022. Reps. Lisa McClain and John James have also been floated as potential candidates, but neither U.S. House member has said they are interested in running for governor.

Longtime Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan was the first candidate to enter the 2026 governor’s race. In early December, he announced that he was running as an independent.