DETROIT – Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announced he’s running to be Michigan’s next governor.
Swanson announced on Feb. 6, 2025, he will be running for the state’s governor seat in the 2026 race. He is the second candidate to be running for the Democratic Party. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joined the race earlier in January.
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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is also running for governor as an Independent, as well as Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, who’s the candidate for the GOP.
Current Governor Gretchen Whitmer is not eligible to rerun as she is term-limited.
He helped create the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) in 2019, when he was first appointed sheriff, aiming to arrest criminals involved in human trafficking and sexual assault.
In September 2020, he also helped create Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education (IGNITE), which is a program that helps inmates find full-time employment once released and helps improve reading, comprehension, and math skills while they are in jail.
He gained national attention in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd when he joined a group of Black Lives Matter protesters in a march in Flint.
