Gubernatorial candidates Jocelyn Benson, John James, to debate in Grand Rapids
The Democrat and Republican candidates for Michigan governor, Jocelyn Benson and John James, will face off in a debate on Tuesday.
The event starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday and is the first debate between the two in the 2026 general election season. Rick Albin of WOOD-TV will serve as moderator.
While five candidates are running for governor, the two candidates debating at WOOD-TV's Grand Rapids studio are the top two contenders: Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James.
Benson is nearing the end of her two-term limit as secretary of state and announced in January 2025 that she would run for governor. Benson says her plans for governor include making Michigan more affordable, taking public schools to the top 10 in the nation and making government for Michiganders.
James is a U.S. representative for Michigan's 10th district who announced in April 2025 that he was running for governor. James says his plans include supporting small businesses and skilled careers, elevating academic excellence and building safe communities.
The other candidates running for Michigan governor are Anthony Hudson, who is running as a Libertarian but was disavowed by the party on Sept. 27; Donna Brandenburg, who is running under the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan; and Douglas Campbell, who is running as the Green Party candidate.
Rules for the gubernatorial debate
According to WOOD-TV, the following rules apply to Tuesday night's debate:
- Candidates will have 60 seconds for opening statements.
- Candidates will have 60 seconds to respond to questions.
- Candidates will have 30 seconds for follow-up questions.
- Candidates will have 30 seconds for rebuttals.
- Candidates will have 30 seconds for closing statements.
WOOD-TV says the debate order and the order of closing statements were chosen during a Zoom call beforehand, with representatives of both campaigns present.
Ballots cast so far
According to the Michigan Secretary of State database, 201,909 absentee ballots have already been sent as of Tuesday morning.
This number accounts for about 2.7% of the 7.3 million registered voters with an "active" status in the Qualified Voter File.
Absentee ballot season opened on Sept. 24, and in-person early voting starts Oct. 24.
