Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson is the second Democrat to step into the race, following Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

Chris Swanson, the high-profile sheriff of Michigan's Genesee County, is launching a Democratic bid to become the battleground state's next governor. First elected sheriff of Michigan’s fifth-largest county in 2020,

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson kicked off his campaign for governor with fanfare at an event in Flint with his supporters.

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.

Chris Swanson has been the sheriff of Genesee County since being appointed in 2019. He’s twice been elected to the job, in 2020 and 2024. But he told Thursday evening's campaign launch audience he’s been planning to run for governor for the past five years.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson is expected to formally announce his candidacy for governor Thursday at around 5:30 p.m., which you can watch live on this page. A potential bid for governor has been in Swanson’s orbit for at least four years.