Open seat scramble

Voters in 36 states will choose governors in November. In half of those, incumbents aren’t on the ballot because of term limits or retirement.

In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is wrapping up her second term and can’t run for a third. Republicans must choose between five candidates running for the party’s nomination in the Aug. 4 primary.

A Detroit Regional Chamber survey shows U.S. Rep. John James, who represents Michigan’s 10th congressional district, leading a tight race with businessman Perry Johnson. James, a former Army officer who says he aligns with President Donald Trump, is campaigning on eliminating the state income tax and advocating for a Parents’ Bill of Rights to ensure parents have full oversight of their children’s education and health care.

For Democrats, voter surveys show Michigan’s current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson likely to trounce her two competitors. Benson has touted goals of making housing, healthcare, and childcare more affordable.

With big potential to upset the race, former Democratic Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is now running for governor as an independent. Duggan highlights his record of revitalizing Detroit after its 2013 bankruptcy and pledges to build a coalition across party lines.

Minnesota maneuvers

Gov. Tim Walz’s departure, amid a welfare fraud scandal, from the state’s gubernatorial race made way for Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar. After Walz bowed out, she raised $4.8 million in the first 62 days of her campaign—more than six times the amount raised by her likely Republican competitor, GOP state House Speaker Lisa Demuth. So far, Klobuchar has no Democratic chal­lengers for the Aug. 11 primary nomination.

In a video announcing her gubernatorial run, Klobuchar pledged to push back against Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the state and focus on affordability issues.

Minnesota has not elected a Republican for governor since 2002. Demuth, who won the state’s Republican informal straw poll, has centered her campaign around cutting taxes and eliminating fraud. She will compete for the party nomination against My Pillow executive Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls, an Army veteran and former healthcare executive.

Sunshine state smash-up

In Florida, popular Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis cannot run again because of state term limits. Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is currently far ahead of his 12 Republican competitors, and former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings are leading the pack of Democratic candidates. President Trump won Florida by 13 points in 2024, and voters have not elected a Democratic governor since 1994. Voters will pick their primary candidates on Aug. 18.