Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is trouncing Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in a new Democratic primary poll for governor, pulling about 72 percent support to Swanson’s roughly 12 percent, with the rest undecided. The numbers suggest Benson has locked down much of the party’s base as Michigan barrels toward the August primary.
According to a Deadline Detroit writeup on a Detroit News–WDIV/Glengariff Group survey, the poll of 500 likely Democratic primary voters conducted July 8–11 puts Benson at 72 percent, Swanson at 12 percent, and 16 percent undecided, with a margin of error of ±4.4 percentage points. The release of the survey comes just as absentee ballots and early voting materials land in voters’ mailboxes ahead of the August 4 primary.
How the lead built
Benson’s commanding edge did not materialize overnight. A Glengariff Group poll in April for the Detroit Regional Chamber had her at about 66 percent support to Swanson’s 8 percent, showing a wide gap that has since grown, according to the Glengariff Group. That April report also found Benson enjoying high favorability and name recognition across key Democratic constituencies.
Who’s on the ballot
Benson is a two-term Michigan secretary of state who oversaw the 2020 and 2024 elections and announced her run for governor this year. Swanson, the Genesee County sheriff, first won countywide office in 2020 and has focused his campaign on public safety and workforce issues. Background on both candidates’ records and the edge Benson’s statewide profile gives her is detailed by AP News.
Campaigns and endorsements
Benson’s team has seized on the new numbers as proof that her pitch on lowering costs and protecting voting rights is landing with voters. A Benson campaign statement framed the poll as evidence of growing momentum and a broad statewide coalition lining up behind her.
Swanson, meanwhile, has been leaning on union backing and editorial support to argue he offers Democrats a pragmatic alternative. The Teamsters announced their endorsement of Swanson in June, and The Detroit News editorial board has thrown its support behind him, developments reported by Fox 2 Detroit and Deadline Detroit. His campaign argues that those endorsements can help juice turnout among working-class Democrats before primary day.
Voters will pick the Democratic nominee on August 4, and with absentee ballots already circulating, turnout will determine whether Benson’s big polling lead becomes a full-on rout. The state’s election calendar and official notices spelling out the August 4 primary date and early-voting windows are available from the Michigan Secretary of State.
