Michigan gubernatorial election, 2026 (August 4 Republican primary)
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← 2022
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| Governor of Michigan |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: April 21, 2026 |
| Primary: August 4, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| Michigan executive elections |
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A Republican Party primary takes place on August 4, 2026, in Michigan to determine which candidate will earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's gubernatorial election on November 3, 2026.
In Michigan, the gubernatorial nominee is selected in the primary. Major and minor party lieutenant gubernatorial nominees are chosen at party conventions and run on a joint ticket with the gubernatorial nominee.
This page focuses on Michigan's Republican Party gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Michigan's Democratic gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Michigan gubernatorial election, 2026 (August 4 Democratic primary)
- Michigan gubernatorial election, 2026
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
Republican primary
Republican primary for Governor of Michigan
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for Governor of Michigan on August 4, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mike Cox | |
 | Joyce Gipson  | |
 | Anthony Hudson | |
 | John James | |
 | Tom Leonard | |
 | Aric Nesbitt | |
 | Ralph Rebandt | |
 | Evan Space | |
 | Karla Wagner | |
| ||||
| = 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.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Hi, my name is Joyce Gipson. I grew up in Decatur Michigan, as a poor family we were a happy bunch. After graduating from Decatur High, I went to Southwestern College for my associates degree. Later I returned to Andrew’s University to get my bachelors degree. As your Governor, I will fight, with wisdom, in prayer, and in Jesus name."
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "Evan Space is a Michigander and military veteran Yooper. Currently a returning Gubernatorial candidate from 2018 and 2022, and believe that perseverance will pay off in efforts of improving the lives of Michigan! He is an entrepreneur of over 30 years. While his time of service was in the Michigan Army National Guard 8 years 12B (Sappers). His education was attending GVSU Political Science and WMU ROTC cadet. He competed 4 years of wrestling at GV NCWA 149lbs weight class. After his time of service he aspired to make a difference and build a Political policy platform for Governor of Michigan and has been actively developing a plan of action to use his knowledge and disciplines to make that happen. Evan Space also has fulfilled his time with acting and becoming involved in Netflix movies & over 14 years improv acting. This has been helpful towards his presence of debates talks and speeches his had attributed up until now. Being a polished entertainer, Space will astonish you with another craft as a magician adding an extra bit of personality to his presence. On his off time Space takes care of his 5 dog pack of American Bulldog and Mastibulls. His advocacy towards animals is a unmatched with care of a mini zoo and promises to be among the most animal friendly states as Governor. Continuing his athleticism and entertainment. Evan Space gives Michigan and the Upper Peninsula the actual opportunity at developing a state to Make Michigan Magnificent!"
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Michigan
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.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan's 1st | Jack Bergman | R+11 |
| Michigan's 2nd | John Moolenaar | R+15 |
| Michigan's 3rd | Hillary Scholten | D+4 |
| Michigan's 4th | Bill Huizenga | R+3 |
| Michigan's 5th | Tim Walberg | R+13 |
| Michigan's 6th | Debbie Dingell | D+12 |
| Michigan's 7th | Tom Barrett | EVEN |
| Michigan's 8th | Kristen McDonald Rivet | R+1 |
| Michigan's 9th | Lisa McClain | R+16 |
| Michigan's 10th | John James | R+3 |
| Michigan's 11th | Haley Stevens | D+9 |
| Michigan's 12th | Rashida Tlaib | D+21 |
| Michigan's 13th | Shri Thanedar | D+22 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| 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[1] | 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
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Michigan.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Michigan
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Michigan.
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.
| 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. | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for Michigan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 9,917,715 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 56,539 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 79% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 14% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 4.7% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.6% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 26.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,576 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 20% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Michigan. **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. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Michigan
Michigan voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 12 are located in Michigan, accounting for 5.83 percent of the total pivot counties.[2]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Michigan had 11 Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 6.08 and 4.00 of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Michigan coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Michigan
- United States congressional delegations from Michigan
- Public policy in Michigan
- Endorsers in Michigan
- Michigan fact checks
- More...
See also
| Michigan | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Progressive Party
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
