Live updates: Michigan's August 2026 primary election
CBS News Detroit is following multiple local, state and federal races in Michigan's primary election, including the gubernatorial and U.S. House and Senate races.
Michigan will have a new governor, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reaches her term limit. In the primary election, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are running on the Democratic side, while U.S. Congressman John James and businessman Perry Johnson run on the Republican side.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate race in Michigan is heating up with Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed going head-to-head in the Democratic primary. The winner of that primary will run against Republican Mike Rogers, who is unopposed.
Other races we're following include the Ann Arbor mayoral and the 10th, 11th, and 13th congressional districts. Both the 10th and 11th districts are open seats, with James and Stevens, respectively, vacating those seats.
James received an endorsement from President Trump in June.
John James, Perry Johnson face off in Republican gubernatorial primary
With Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reaching a term limit in 2026, the gubernatorial race is wide open.
On the Republican party side, U.S. Congressman John James and businessman Perry Johnson will go head-to-head. Both are familiar names in Michigan politics, and the winner will face either Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson or Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the November general election.
James announced in April 2025 that he was running for governor, leaving Michigan's 10th Congressional seat up for grabs after twice defeating Democrat Carl Marlinga in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
James has picked up a key endorsement from President Trump in the race.
Johnson, a businessman who made his career in the American auto industry, announced his gubernatorial bid in January 2026.
Johnson ran in 2022 for the Michigan governor's seat, but was disqualified over invalid petition signatures.
For more on the race, visit here.
Thanedar, McKinney face off in Michigan's 13th congressional district race
State Rep. Donavan McKinney is looking to unseat U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar in a competitive battle over Michigan's 13th Congressional District.
McKinney and Thanedar both hold strong progressive policy viewpoints, but differ in their backgrounds and values in the Democratic primary. The winner of the primary will likely head to Washington, D.C., next year as Detroit remains a solidly blue district.
Thanedar, who is completing his second term in Congress, is largely self-funding his campaign. He was elected to Congress in 2022 after winning the nine-way primary with 28.3% of the votes. McKinney, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is running on a platform centered on relatability and everyday people.
For more on the 13th congressional district race, click here.
Candidates fight for open 11th congressional district seat
Michigan's 11th congressional district will have an open seat after Congresswoman Haley Stevens announced her bid in the U.S. Senate race.
What started as a crowded list of candidates has been reduced to one Republican, Troy Mayor Ethan Baker, running unopposed and four Democrats — state Sen. Jeremy Moss, attorney Aisha Farooqi, John Paul Torres and former engineer Don Ufford — competing for victory in the primary election.
The winner of the Democratic primary will run against Baker in the November election to serve a two-year term.
The 11th congressional district encompasses Oakland County and includes major cities such as Auburn Hills, Ferndale, Pontiac, Royal Oak, Troy, West Bloomfield Township and Wixom.
Click here to learn more about the candidates.
Michigan's 10th congressional district up for grabs
Michigan's 10th congressional district seat is up for grabs, as GOP Congressman John James is running for Michigan governor.
Mike Bouchard, the son of Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, Justin Kirk and Steffan Demetropoulos are facing off in the Republican primary, while Eric Chung, former Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel and Christina Hines will face off in the Democratic primary.
The winners will face off in the November general election to serve a two-year term. The district covers several communities in parts of Macomb and Oakland counties.
Bouchard received an endorsement from President Trump.
For more on the race, click here.
DOJ monitoring polls at 4 Michigan cities
The U.S. Department of Justice said it is monitoring polling sites in Detroit, Hamtramck, Lansing and East Lansing during Michigan's Aug. 4 primary election.
The DOJ said members from the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section and Michigan's U.S. Attorney's Offices for both the Eastern and Western Districts were assigned to this task.
"Our primary monitoring efforts continue today as we seek to ensure free and fair elections nationwide," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement. "The Department of Justice is devoting extensive resources to ensure uniform and nondiscriminatory monitoring. We appreciate the cooperation of these jurisdictions in promoting trust and transparency."
Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey confirmed Tuesday morning that four teams of federal election monitors from the DOJ were in the city, adding that she did not expect any issues.
When do polls open and close on Tuesday?
Polling locations across officially opened at 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday for voters to cast their ballots in person. Voters also have the option to return their absentee ballots on Election Day at their precinct.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 1.21 million Michigan voters have already cast their ballots for the August primary - a turnout rate of 16.5% of the state's registered voters, the Michigan Secretary of State office said.
Click here to see when polls close on Tuesday and how to find your polling location.
