Michigan Secretary of State election, 2026

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← 2022
Michigan Secretary of State
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: —
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Michigan
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Michigan is holding an election for secretary of state on November 3, 2026. This office does not hold primary elections. Major and minor party nominees are chosen through their respective party conventions. As of February 2026, the state nominating convention dates had not been announced.

To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

• Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
• Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Michigan Secretary of State

The following candidates are running in the general election for Michigan Secretary of State on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Barbara Byrum (D)
		Aghogho Edevbie (D)
		Garlin Gilchrist II (D)
		Adam Hollier (D)
		Suzanna Shkreli (D)
		Anthony Forlini (R)
		Timothy Smith (R)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Barbara Byrum

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am serving in my fourth term as Ingham County Clerk, acting as the County's Chief Elections Official. As the Clerk of one of the most populous counties in Michigan, I have successfully conducted 42 elections, 10 union elections, and many recounts. I am a member of Election Center's Ethics Project Focus Group and Security Committee. I have lent my expertise to Michigan's Election Security Commission, and the Secretary of State's Election Policy Work Group, working with election officials across the state to navigate changes to election law and secure Michigan's Elections. I have been a fervent advocate for the voting rights of qualified, registered voters, focusing on historically disenfranchised voters. I am a member of the Overseas Voting Initiative, an effort to improve the process of voting by members of the military and civilians living abroad. I previously served three terms as a Michigan State Representative, for the 67th House District. In my time in the Legislature, I served as the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Redistricting and Elections. I am also a former small business owner, operating a hardware store for nearly 20 years. I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and a law degree from MSU College of Law. Since 2016, I am a credentialed Certified Elections/Registration Administrator by Election Center, the only nationally recognized accreditation for election administration."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Most residents interact with the Secretary of State’s Office to obtain or renew their vehicle tabs and plates and Driver’s license. As Secretary of State, my job will be to offer the best customer service experience to those residents and make the process easy. That means further improving the online experience, cutting down wait times and providing in-person options including mobile offices, and making sure that our staff are courteous and treating residents respectfully. I owned a hardware business for 20 years and I know that the customer experience is the most important key for a successful small business owner. I will bring that mentality to the Secretary of State’s office and ensure that our residents leave my office with a smile.

---

Michigan needs a Secretary of State who has practical experience running elections, someone who can defend our processes against misinformation and disinformation. I am the only candidate who has practical experience. We need a Secretary of State that we can trust to deliver safe and secure elections, as we have always done. As Ingham County Clerk for the last 12 years, I have conducted over 40 elections, numerous recounts, and each election was certified by bipartisan Boards of Canvassers. I have the knowledge and expertise to step in and run our elections as Secretary of State on Day One. I have also been vocal, dispelling election myths, and fighting those who attack our Democracy, and would continue to do so as Secretary of State.

---

Michigan’s voters deserve transparency to know who is influencing our elected officials and candidates and the Michigan Secretary of State plays a key role in ensuring this information is available to voters. As Ingham County Clerk, I implemented an online campaign finance system that provides this clarity to the voters, easily allowing candidates to submit reports, and the public to view them. The statewide system that was released should have gone through more significant testing and now needs an overhaul to make it user friendly and to eliminate bugs. I also believe that a system without enforcement is toothless, and I would seek to crack down on those who are in violation of campaign finance law, as I have as Ingham County Clerk.

Anthony Forlini

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Anthony is a lifelong resident of Macomb County and proud native of St. Clair Shores. He is a product of local schools. Anthony attended St. Germaine Elementary and graduated from Fraser High School before earning a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University. Married to Diane Forlini for 40 years, they are parents to three children. All of their children have successful careers. They are proud grandparents to four grandchildren. Anthony is deeply rooted in his community in both faith and service. Most recently, in 2025, the Macomb County Clerk’s Office under the leadership of Anthony received two national awards from Tyler Technologies for innovation and operational efficiency. His organization was the only one in Michigan to win an award and the only one in the country to win two out of 5,000 eligible municipalities nationwide."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Election Integrity That Builds Public Confidence: Election security isn’t partisan. It is foundational and necessary for a health election process. My focus is practical: strengthen safeguards, standardize best practices, and make it easier for the public to trust the process. I support voting systems that are secure, auditable, and protected from avoidable vulnerabilities. Election integrity is achieved through standards and competence, not slogans. This means consistent procedures across jurisdictions, training and support for election workers so elections are run confidently and correctly, and transparent processes that help answer honest questions and reduce confusion. We must also ensure our voter roles are clean and accurate.

---

Transparency For Michigan Residents: Trust grows when the public can verify procedures and understand what’s happening. I will push for: Clear public explanations of election processes and safeguards, tools that make records requests more straightforward and timely, and implement transparency practices that reduce speculation by answering questions with facts.

---

High-Performing Office That Respects Your Time: Michigan residents deserve reliable service and clear communication. I will focus on: Service standards with measurable turnaround expectations, modernization that’s careful, stable, and resident-first, and less bureaucracy, better communication, and systems designed around the public—not around the agency

Timothy Smith

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Timothy Smith isn’t a career politician – he’s a devoted husband, proud father of two, and a hardworking American who understands what real life looks like for everyday Michigan families. Timothy works 50 to 60 hours a week at Gentex, an automotive manufacturing company in Zeeland, Michigan. His wife, who immigrated to the United States from Cambodia in 2006, fuels his deep appreciation for the American Dream and his determination to protect it for future generations. Timothy is the proud father of two children, one of whom was born completely deaf and has taught him more about resilience and strength than he could ever have imagined. Through every challenge, Timothy and his family have leaned on faith, grit, and perseverance. And while Timothy has never lost hope in the promise of America, he’s seen firsthand how the system often fails the very people who work the hardest and ask for the least. That’s why he’s stepping forward—not for power, but for purpose. Timothy is running for Secretary of State to restore honesty, integrity, and accountability to Michigan government and to ensure every Michigander’s voice is truly heard."

---

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Annual July Voter Roll Audits If elected, Timothy Smith will implement mandatory audits of Michigan’s voter registration database every July. These audits will focus on outdated, duplicate, or fraudulent entries, with special attention given to ensuring that deceased individuals are promptly removed. By proactively cleaning the rolls each year, Timothy aims to prevent issues before they arise. He believes election integrity should be proactive—not political.

---

Timothy plans to create a single source of voter roll data from voter start to voter finish. Timothy believes that by starting at the precinct level, Michigan gets the truest and purest form of vote data. That data will be mirrored to the county and then state level using the same system same platform and same numbers to ensure we have a clean single source of data from voter start to voter finish.

---

Immediate Removal of Deceased Voters from the Rolls Timothy believes that once a death certificate is submitted to the county clerk, the individual should be automatically and immediately removed from Michigan’s voter rolls. He sees this as a basic safeguard that would strengthen public confidence in the integrity of elections and reduce the potential for misuse. According to Timothy, the system should reflect the living, active voters of Michigan—nothing more, nothing less.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Barbara Byrum (D)

Most residents interact with the Secretary of State’s Office to obtain or renew their vehicle tabs and plates and Driver’s license. As Secretary of State, my job will be to offer the best customer service experience to those residents and make the process easy. That means further improving the online experience, cutting down wait times and providing in-person options including mobile offices, and making sure that our staff are courteous and treating residents respectfully.

I owned a hardware business for 20 years and I know that the customer experience is the most important key for a successful small business owner. I will bring that mentality to the Secretary of State’s office and ensure that our residents leave my office with a smile.

Michigan needs a Secretary of State who has practical experience running elections, someone who can defend our processes against misinformation and disinformation. I am the only candidate who has practical experience. We need a Secretary of State that we can trust to deliver safe and secure elections, as we have always done.

As Ingham County Clerk for the last 12 years, I have conducted over 40 elections, numerous recounts, and each election was certified by bipartisan Boards of Canvassers. I have the knowledge and expertise to step in and run our elections as Secretary of State on Day One.

I have also been vocal, dispelling election myths, and fighting those who attack our Democracy, and would continue to do so as Secretary of State.

Michigan’s voters deserve transparency to know who is influencing our elected officials and candidates and the Michigan Secretary of State plays a key role in ensuring this information is available to voters.

As Ingham County Clerk, I implemented an online campaign finance system that provides this clarity to the voters, easily allowing candidates to submit reports, and the public to view them. The statewide system that was released should have gone through more significant testing and now needs an overhaul to make it user friendly and to eliminate bugs.

I also believe that a system without enforcement is toothless, and I would seek to crack down on those who are in violation of campaign finance law, as I have as Ingham County Clerk.

Anthony Forlini (R)

Election Integrity That Builds Public Confidence: Election security isn’t partisan. It is foundational and necessary for a health election process. My focus is practical: strengthen safeguards, standardize best practices, and make it easier for the public to trust the process. I support voting systems that are secure, auditable, and protected from avoidable vulnerabilities. Election integrity is achieved through standards and competence, not slogans. This means consistent procedures across jurisdictions, training and support for election workers so elections are run confidently and correctly, and transparent processes that help answer honest questions and reduce confusion. We must also ensure our voter roles are clean and accurate.

Transparency For Michigan Residents: Trust grows when the public can verify procedures and understand what’s happening. I will push for: Clear public explanations of election processes and safeguards, tools that make records requests more straightforward and timely, and implement transparency practices that reduce speculation by answering questions with facts.

High-Performing Office That Respects Your Time: Michigan residents deserve reliable service and clear communication. I will focus on: Service standards with measurable turnaround expectations, modernization that’s careful, stable, and resident-first, and less bureaucracy, better communication, and systems designed around the public—not around the agency

Timothy Smith (R)

Annual July Voter Roll Audits

If elected, Timothy Smith will implement mandatory audits of Michigan’s voter registration database every July. These audits will focus on outdated, duplicate, or fraudulent entries, with special attention given to ensuring that deceased individuals are promptly removed.

By proactively cleaning the rolls each year, Timothy aims to prevent issues before they arise. He believes election integrity should be proactive—not political.

Timothy plans to create a single source of voter roll data from voter start to voter finish. Timothy believes that by starting at the precinct level, Michigan gets the truest and purest form of vote data.

That data will be mirrored to the county and then state level using the same system same platform and same numbers to ensure we have a clean single source of data from voter start to voter finish.

Immediate Removal of Deceased Voters from the Rolls

Timothy believes that once a death certificate is submitted to the county clerk, the individual should be automatically and immediately removed from Michigan’s voter rolls.

He sees this as a basic safeguard that would strengthen public confidence in the integrity of elections and reduce the potential for misuse. According to Timothy, the system should reflect the living, active voters of Michigan—nothing more, nothing less.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Barbara Byrum (D)

I am extremely passionate about our elections here in Michigan. In addition to my duties as Ingham County Clerk, I am a Certified Elections Registration Administrator and participate in several state and national committees including the Michigan Election Security Task Force, organized by Secretary of State Benson, and the Overseas Voter Initiative, helping to break down barriers for our military and overseas civilians who wish to participate in our elections. Long before this campaign, I have travelled the state to meet with groups who wish to learn more about our elections and have provided training and seminars on a wide range of topics including election security, campaign finance, and many more.

Anthony Forlini (R)

I am a lifelong Macomb resident who has held positions as a Township Supervisor, State Representative, Public Works Operations Manager, and County Clerk. I am passionate about responsible public policy that protects taxpayers and instills trust in the electoral process.

Timothy Smith (R)

Timothy believes Michigan deserves a single source of voter roll data with locked voter history records that never change.

He also believes annual voter roll audits are essential to maintain a clean and accurate voter roll year round.

Timothy also believes that by creating a Discovery committee he can investigate how the voting system got so broken and most importantly fix the issue to ensure it never happens again.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Barbara Byrum (D)

Honesty, integrity, accessibility and the ability to solicit feedback and learn from other people’s experiences.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Timothy Smith (R)

Make Michigan election system the most secure in the history of the entire Nation

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Barbara Byrum (D)

My first job was in my family’s hardware store, which I did for 36 years in every role from cashier all the way up until I took ownership. I believe that this has truly prepared me for a role in public service because it instilled customer service as core value within me that I bring to every day of my life as an elected official.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Timothy Smith (R)

Bring election integrity back to Michigan with clean, accurate, and transparent voter rolls that anyone can easily audit.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Barbara Byrum (D)

I believe that having experience in government and elections is of key importance to this position. Election law is a very technical field and understanding the practical application of that law is critical to being able to run safe and secure elections in our state. To that end, having political and legislative experience is also beneficial because the Secretary of State will have to work with the Legislature to enact any reforms or changes necessary to continue administering our elections well.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Barbara Byrum (D)

UFCW 951, Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local 333, UA Local 85, UA Local 370, UA Local 636, IBEW Locals 665 and 352, Greater Lansing Labor Council, Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus of Muskegon County. Dozens of election administrators (county and local clerks), numerous current and former legislators and local officials representing a diverse array of communities across Michigan.

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

• Aghogho Edevbie
• Suzanna Shkreli

Voting information

See also: Voting in Michigan

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.

2022

See also: Michigan Secretary of State election, 2022

General election

General election for Michigan Secretary of State

Incumbent Jocelyn Benson defeated Kristina Karamo, Gregory Stempfle, Christine Schwartz, and Larry Hutchinson Jr. in the general election for Michigan Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jocelyn Benson (D)	55.9	2,467,859
		Kristina Karamo (R)	41.9	1,852,510
		Gregory Stempfle (L)	1.2	52,982
		Christine Schwartz (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	0.6	27,937
		Larry Hutchinson Jr. (G)	0.4	16,615

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,417,903
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Michigan Secretary of State

Incumbent Jocelyn Benson advanced from the Democratic convention for Michigan Secretary of State on August 21, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Jocelyn Benson (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican convention

Republican convention for Michigan Secretary of State

Kristina Karamo defeated Cindy Berry, Beau LaFave, and Cathleen Postmus in the Republican convention for Michigan Secretary of State on August 27, 2022.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Cindy Berry (R)
✔		Kristina Karamo (R)
		Beau LaFave (R)
	Submit photo	Cathleen Postmus (R)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green convention

Green convention for Michigan Secretary of State

Larry Hutchinson Jr. advanced from the Green convention for Michigan Secretary of State on April 23, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Larry Hutchinson Jr. (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Michigan Secretary of State

Gregory Stempfle advanced from the Libertarian convention for Michigan Secretary of State on July 10, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Gregory Stempfle (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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U.S. Taxpayers Party convention

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Michigan Secretary of State

Christine Schwartz advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Michigan Secretary of State on July 23, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Christine Schwartz (U.S. Taxpayers Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Michigan Secretary of State election, 2018

General election

General election for Michigan Secretary of State

Jocelyn Benson defeated Mary Treder Lang, Gregory Scott Stemple, and Robert Gale in the general election for Michigan Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jocelyn Benson (D)	52.9	2,213,243
		Mary Treder Lang (R)	44.0	1,840,118
	Submit photo	Gregory Scott Stemple (L)	2.0	81,849
	Submit photo	Robert Gale (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	1.2	48,816

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,184,026
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Michigan Secretary of State election, 2014

Secretary of State of Michigan, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ruth Johnson Incumbent	53.5%	1,649,047
	Democratic	Godfrey Dillard	42.9%	1,323,004
	Libertarian	James Lewis	2%	61,112
	U.S. Taxpayer	Robert Gale	1.1%	34,447
	Natural Law	Jason Gatties	0.4%	13,185
Total Votes				3,080,795
Election results via Michigan Department of State

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
• Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
• State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
• Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

• Presidential elections
• Statewide elections
• State partisanship
• Demographics

See also: Presidential voting trends in Michigan and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Michigan

District	Kamala Harris	Donald Trump
Michigan's 1st	39.0%	60.0%
Michigan's 2nd	34.0%	64.0%
Michigan's 3rd	53.0%	45.0%
Michigan's 4th	46.0%	52.0%
Michigan's 5th	36.0%	63.0%
Michigan's 6th	60.0%	37.0%
Michigan's 7th	49.0%	50.0%
Michigan's 8th	48.0%	50.0%
Michigan's 9th	33.0%	65.0%
Michigan's 10th	46.0%	52.0%
Michigan's 11th	57.0%	41.0%
Michigan's 12th	67.0%	29.0%
Michigan's 13th	69.0%	28.0%
Source: The Downballot

2016-2024

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status	2016	2020	2024
Solid Democratic	D	D	D
Trending Democratic	R	D	D
Battleground Democratic	D	R	D
New Democratic	R	R	D
Republican
Status	2016	2020	2024
Solid Republican	R	R	R
Trending Republican	D	R	R
Battleground Republican	R	D	R
New Republican	D	D	R

Following the 2024 presidential election, 45.7% of Michiganians lived in one of the state's 72 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 43.9% lived in one of 7 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Michigan was Battleground Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Michigan following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Michigan county-level statistics, 2024
Solid Republican	72	45.7%
Solid Democratic	7	43.9%
Trending Democratic	2	6.8%
Battleground Republican	1	1.9%
New Republican	1	1.8%
Total voted Democratic	9	50.7%
Total voted Republican	74	49.3%

Historical voting trends

Michigan presidential election results (1900-2024)

• 13 Democratic wins
• 18 Republican wins
• 1 other win

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024
Winning Party	R	R	R	P	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	D	R

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Michigan

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Michigan.

U.S. Senate election results in Michigan

Race	Winner	Runner up
2024	48.6%	48.3%
2020	49.9%	48.2%
2018	52.3%	45.8%
2014	54.6%	41.3%
2012	58.6%	38.0%
Average	52.8	44.3

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Michigan

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Michigan.

Gubernatorial election results in Michigan

Race	Winner	Runner up
2022	54.5%	43.9%
2018	53.3%	43.7%
2014	50.9%	46.9%
2010	58.1%	39.9%
2006	56.4%	42.3%
Average	54.6	43.3

See also: Party control of Michigan state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Michigan's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Michigan
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	2	6	8
Republican	0	7	7
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	13	15

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Michigan's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Michigan, October 2025

Office	Officeholder
Governor	Gretchen Whitmer
Lieutenant Governor	Garlin Gilchrist II
Secretary of State	Jocelyn Benson
Attorney General	Dana Nessel

State legislature

Michigan State Senate

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	19
	Republican Party	18
	Other	0
	Vacancies	1
Total		38

Michigan House of Representatives

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	52
	Republican Party	58
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		110

Trifecta control

Michigan Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D
House	D	S	S	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R

The table below details demographic data in Michigan and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

Demographic Data for Michigan
	Michigan	United States
Population	10,077,331	331,449,281
Land area (sq mi)	56,610	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	74.8%	63.4%
Black/African American	13.4%	12.4%
Asian	3.3%	5.8%
Native American	0.5%	0.9%
Pacific Islander	0.3%	0.4%
Other (single race)	1.8%	6.6%
Multiple	6.3%	10.7%
Hispanic/Latino	5.7%	19%
Education
High school graduation rate	91.9%	89.4%
College graduation rate	31.8%	35%
Income
Median household income	$71,149	$78,538
Persons below poverty level	13.1%	12.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Secretary of State elections in 2026

There are 26 secretary of state seats on the ballot in 2026.

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Michigan secretary of state official website

Footnotes

2026 state executive official elections

Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Lieutenant Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin

Attorney General

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Dakota • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Vermont • Wisconsin

Secretary of State

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Dakota • Ohio • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Treasurer

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Auditor

Alabama • Arkansas • Delaware • Iowa • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Missouri • Nebraska • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • South Dakota • Vermont • Wyoming

Comptroller

California • Connecticut • Idaho • Illinois • Maryland • Nevada • New York • South Carolina • Texas

Education officials

Alabama (board of education) • Arizona (superintendent) • California (superintendent) • Colorado (board of education) • Colorado (board of regent) • District of Columbia (board of education) • Georgia (superintendent) • Guam (education board) • Idaho (superintendent) • Kansas (board of education) • Louisiana (board of education) • Michigan (board of education) • Michigan (board of regent) • Michigan (board of trustees) • Michigan (board of governors) • Nebraska (board of education) • Nebraska (board of regents) • Nevada (board of regents) • New Mexico (board of education) • North Dakota (superintendent) • Northern Mariana Islands (board of education) • Ohio (board of education) • Oklahoma (superintendent) • South Carolina (superintendent) • Texas (board of education) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of education) • Utah (board of education) • Wyoming (superintendent)

Commissioners

Alabama (agriculture) • Alabama (public service) • Arizona (corporation) • Arizona (mine inspector) • Arkansas (public lands) • California (board of equalization) • California (insurance) • Florida (agriculture) • Georgia (agriculture) • Georgia (labor) • Georgia (insurance) • Georgia (public service) • Guam (utilities) • Hawaii (Hawaiian affairs) • Iowa (agriculture) • Kansas (insurance) • Louisiana (public service) • Massachusetts (governor's council) • Montana (public service) • Nebraska (public service) • New Hampshire (executive council) • New Mexico (public lands) • North Dakota (agriculture) • North Dakota (public service) • North Dakota (tax) • Oklahoma (corporation) • Oklahoma (insurance) • Oklahoma (labor) • Oregon (labor) • South Carolina (agriculture) • South Dakota (public lands) • South Dakota (public utilities) • Texas (agriculture) • Texas (public lands) • Texas (railroad) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of elections)

Secretaries of State

Elected (by voters)

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oregon • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Appointed (by gov.)

Delaware • Florida • Maryland • New Jersey • New York • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Texas • Virginia

Elected (state leg.)

Maine • New Hampshire • Tennessee

Elections

2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Other

State executive offices • Chart of state executive officers • Term limits

State executive offices

Offices

Governor • Lt. Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Schools • Insurance Commissioner • Controller • Agriculture Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commissioner

States

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Elections

2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Features

Chart of state executive officers • Compensation • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • How vacancies are filled in state executive offices • State executive officials serving in home states • State government trifectas • State of the state addresses • Term limits

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