Michigan Governor 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them
Jocelyn Benson (Democrat), John James (Republican), Anthony Hudson (Libertarian), Donna Brandenburg (U.S. Taxpayers) and Douglas Campbell (Green) are the candidates for governor of Michigan in the November 3, 2026 general election. Semblen has analyzed 59 ads in this race; 30 used at least one manipulation technique, most often loaded language and appeal to prejudice. Next date for voters: Registration deadline: Mon, Oct 19.
Jocelyn Benson (DEM), John James (REP), Anthony Hudson (LIB), Donna Brandenburg (UST), Douglas Campbell (GRE).
On the ballot as listed by Michigan Department of State, Official Candidate Listing, General Election Nov 3 2026. 59 ads analyzed, 30 with at least one technique in the copy.
Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-08. 11 ads from other advertisers shown separately below.
From Michigan's official election office. Each line links to the official page it came from.
Next: Registration deadline: Mon, Oct 19 (in 11 days)
Registration
Register by Mon, Oct 19 (online/mail: received or postmarked 15 days before (Oct 19); after that, in person at local clerk with proof of residency through 8 p.m. Election Day). Same-day registration: in person at local clerk's office (not polling place) with proof of residency, in line by 8 p.m.Source: michigan.gov ↗
Early voting in person
Sat, Oct 24 to Sun, Nov 1 (mandatory period begins second Saturday before Election Day; communities may start as early as the 29th day before (Oct 5))Source: michigan.gov ↗
By mail
Anyone can vote by mail; request a ballot by Fri, Oct 30 (online/mail: received by 5 p.m. Friday before (Oct 30); in person at clerk: 4 p.m. Monday Nov 2); return it by Tue, Nov 3 (received by clerk by 8 p.m. Election Day; military/overseas postmarked by Election Day and received within 6 days)Source: michigan.gov ↗
29 of 58 (50%) flagged · Loaded Language (16), Appeal to Prejudice (13), Glittering Generalities (10)
YouTube
1 of 1 flagged · False Urgency (1), Glittering Generalities (1), Loaded Language (1)
Reported Meta spend
$795,100–985,720 on all ads, $283,600–351,687 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“unleash jobs” — Loaded Language, paid for by AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
· the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
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A small box with these findings and the newest ads, updated as new ads are analyzed. Free for newsrooms, blogs and campaigns alike; it links back here.
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Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 39% of ads.
The words doing the work
The words that show up most in phrases our model flagged as loaded language or name calling in this race's ads, by number of ads.
moneyin 3 ads· e.g. “dark money”, “dark money and corruption”
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Money in this race
Candidates for governor report their fundraising to Michigan's state campaign-finance office, not the FEC. This page doesn't cover those reports yet, so it shows no money figures.
The ads
59 ads, newest first. Video transcripts are shown as the model read them, without caption cues like [music].
Hot hot. Time for commercial break. These knuckleheads are the reason I'm running for governor, but here's the problem.
Way too many young people are leaving Michigan. Not because they want to, but because they have to leave to find opportunities. Lansing's failed us.
Worse, Lansing's failed them. It's time for a change. It's time to rebuild Michigan and keep our families together.
Loaded Language: Emotionally charged words chosen to trigger a reaction rather than convey facts.
Name Calling: Derogatory labels used to discredit a person or group rather than address their arguments. — for example: These knuckleheads are the reason I'm running for governor.
False Urgency: The phrase 'It's time for a change' creates a sense of urgency and inevitability, pressuring the audience to act without deliberation — for example: It's time for a change and It's time to rebuild Michigan.
Glittering Generalities: Vague, emotionally positive language about rebuilding and keeping families together carries no specific policy meaning but sounds noble and appealing — for example: rebuild Michigan and keep our families together
Loaded Language
Name Calling
False Urgency
Glittering Generalities
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Follow the Michigan Governor race
An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Paid posts that ran in MI and name a candidate, from advertisers that aren't part of this race: news-style pages, campaigns for other offices, and others. They're shown here for completeness and not counted with the ads above. We show the same technique analysis; their claims are not checked.
Good Goose Gazette: news-style page
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-09-29 to 2026-10-072 variantsspend $0–1984,000–5,998 impressions
🚨 Rep. John James, the Republican nominee for Michigan governor, called for removing what he described as harmful pesticides and synthetic dyes from food in a campaign video outlining his health and agriculture platform.
James also advocated regenerative farming, stronger farm-to-table supply chains and better school food. His claim that harmful exposures from birth drive rising health care costs was not independently established by the sources reviewed. #MichiganPolitics #FoodPolicy #Agriculture 👇
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-09-29 to 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–1985,000–6,998 impressions
🚨 Michigan Rep. Rachelle Smit, Chair of the House Election Integrity Committee and a former township clerk in Martin Township, testified at a legislative hearing that a deceased voter she personally removed from her township's rolls was later reinstated by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's office.
Smit said a family member who died nearly 20 years ago was re-registered around the 2020 election cycle, received mailed ballot applications without authorization from local clerks, and was issued an early voting card during the most recent cycle, which Smit said she can physically produce as evidence.
Benson, testifying at the hearing on House Bill 4765, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship and photo ID to vote, said every system has some errors and pointed to existing safeguards, noting, "You can ask NASA." Benson is term-limited as Secretary of State and is the 2026 Democratic nominee for Michigan Governor.
Smit has been a persistent critic of Benson's office, accusing it of obstructing the committee's work. Benson's office reports purging over 800,000 outdated voter records since 2019.
What questions do you have about how deceased voters end up back on the rolls, and what safeguards do you think should be in place? 👇
#Michigan #ElectionIntegrity #VoterRolls #MichiganPolitics #HouseBill4765 #Breaking
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-09-10 to 2026-09-152 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
🚨 Michigan's auditor general found 403 voter registrations canceled or rejected for citizenship reasons between 2022 and 2026, yet Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is calling it proof the system works.
Benson, also a Democratic candidate for Michigan governor, appeared on a Sunday news program where anchor Margaret Brennan pressed her directly: "I know that in the last election, Michigan ended up finding non-citizens who did vote. There were 22 cases under review. Your attorney general has charged six people with those election law violations." Benson argued the small numbers show election officials are being proactive. A state deputy secretary noted a 2024 audit flagged citizenship issues with 16 people out of 5.7 million voters, with cases referred to the Michigan Attorney General.
The timeline tells a more complicated story. Benson testified before Congress in September 2024 that "there is no evidence that noncitizens are voting." A month later, a Chinese national cast an illegal ballot. By April 2025, Benson acknowledged 15 others likely voted illegally in the 2024 General Election. Most recently, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged five noncitizens for allegedly voting illegally in that same election. A separate 347 registrations from 2022 to 2026 were also canceled for "registered in error" reasons, though the number involving noncitizens is not fully clear.
With the 2026 midterms approaching and a federal appeals court blocking the Trump administration's attempt to obtain Michigan's unredacted voter rolls, the debate over how clean the rolls actually are is only heating up. Do you think the number of flagged registrations is small enough to call the system a success, or does it raise bigger questions? 👇
#Michigan #VoterRolls #JocelynBenson #ElectionIntegrity #2026Midterms #Breaking
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-08-24 to 2026-08-312 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
🚨 Michigan Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. John James says that if elected governor, girls in Michigan would compete only against other girls in school sports, citing fair competition and safe locker rooms as the fall high school sports season gets underway.
James, who secured the GOP nomination and now faces Democratic opponent Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in the November 3 general election, is making transgender sports policy a central campaign issue. If elected, he would become Michigan's first Black governor.
Michigan currently has no statewide ban on transgender athlete participation in school sports. The Michigan High School Athletic Association says its transgender eligibility policy is required under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, and that any change would need to come from the state Legislature. In the past five to six years, the MHSAA has processed only two transgender athlete waivers out of more than 170,000 high school athletes statewide.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled 6-3 that state laws banning males from competing in female sports do not violate Title IX, and a Trump executive order directs the federal government to revoke funding from programs that allow transgender athletes to participate. Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, amended in 2023 to include gender identity protections, currently stands in direct conflict with that federal order and with James's stated position.
Where do you stand on transgender athlete eligibility in high school sports? 👇
#JohnJames #Michigan #MichiganGovernor #GirlsSports #MichiganPolitics #Breaking
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-08-24 to 2026-09-012 variantsspend $0–198200–1,998 impressions
Democratic Governor candidate Jocelyn Benson has selected State Senator Winnie Brinks as her running mate.
Brinks is the current Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate and has had a contentious relationship with the Republican majority House and Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer at times.
Do you think Brinks is a good choice for Lieutenant Governor?
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-08-24 to 2026-08-312 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
🚨 Rep. John James has challenged Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to five debates for the Michigan governor's race, accepting confirmed invitations from WOOD TV in Grand Rapids, WDIV in Detroit, and the Michigan Debate Commission in Ann Arbor, while negotiating two additional forums. Benson has publicly committed to two televised debates.
James is pressing Benson on her past board membership at the Southern Poverty Law Center from 2014 to 2019. A Department of Justice indictment alleges the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million in donated funds to members of the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and other extremist groups, while publicly claiming to oppose white supremacy. The Michigan House Oversight Committee also released emails suggesting Benson maintained ties to the SPLC after taking office in 2019.
Benson is also facing at least four racial discrimination lawsuits filed by current and former Black employees of the Michigan Department of State. The suits allege a racially hostile workplace, retaliation, and preferential treatment for white employees. In August 2025, her office reached a $775,000 separation agreement with former employee Angela Harness, who had filed a notice of intent to sue over similar allegations. Benson's office has denied the claims.
Adding another layer, Benson is currently overseeing Michigan's election process as Secretary of State while simultaneously running as the Democratic nominee for governor. James won the Republican nomination after the August 4 primary, defeating businessman Perry Johnson. Cook Political Report rates the race as leaning toward Benson heading into November.
Do you think five debates is the right number for a race this consequential? 👇
#MichiganGovernor #JohnJames #JocelynBenson #MichiganPolitics #MI2026 #Breaking
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-08-24 to 2026-08-312 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
🚨 Rep. John James says Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson allowed hundreds of noncitizens onto jury rolls and voter rolls while simultaneously overseeing elections in which she herself is a candidate.
In a television interview, the Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for Michigan governor laid out a detailed case against Benson's record. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini flagged 198 noncitizens pulled for jury duty from Michigan's driver's license database. Seven of those individuals held active voter registrations. On top of that, 640 self-reported noncitizens were summoned for jury duty in 2025, 18 of whom were registered to vote. Benson testified before Congress in September 2024 that "there is no evidence that noncitizens are voting," but a month later a Chinese national cast an illegal ballot in the 2024 election. By April 2025, Benson had confirmed at least 16 noncitizens likely cast illegal votes in the 2024 General Election.
James also pointed to six criminal illegal immigrants listed in a DHS "Worst of the Worst" database who were arrested in Michigan yet held active voter registrations, including two who voted in multiple elections. The Department of Justice has warned that any chief election officer who "knowingly retains noncitizens on the state's voter registration list or facilitates noncitizens in receiving and casting ballots" could face criminal charges. Benson, term-limited as Secretary of State, is running for governor in 2026 while still serving as Michigan's top election official. James, a West Point graduate and Army combat veteran who logged over 750 combat hours flying Apache helicopters in Iraq, won the Republican primary on August 4 and faces Benson in the November 3 general election. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently rates the race as leaning toward Benson.
Should a sitting Secretary of State be permitted to oversee elections in which she is a candidate? 👇
#MichiganGovernor #JohnJames #JocelynBenson #VoterRoll #ElectionIntegrity #Breaking
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-08-24 to 2026-08-312 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
🚨 John James has selected Rep. Jay DeBoer as his running mate, and here is everything you need to know about the pick.
Rep. DeBoer represents Michigan's 63rd House District, covering parts of St. Clair and Macomb Counties. But his government experience runs much deeper than his time in Lansing. Before winning his State House seat, he spent more than a decade as the St. Clair County Clerk and Register of Deeds.
Rep. DeBoer is also a small business owner in the engineered lumber industry, giving him experience in both the public and private sectors. He was elected to the State House in 2022 and won re-election in 2024. He currently serves as Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, where he has focused on investigating and scrutinizing state government operations.
James says he chose Rep. DeBoer because he has run a business, served in local government, overseen elections, and knows how to work across party lines. What do you think of the pick? 👇
#JohnJames #JayDeBoer #Michigan #MichiganPolitics #Breaking #Election2026
Paid for by Good Goose Gazettefrom 2026-08-12 to 2026-08-182 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
Congressman John James is projected to win the Republican Gubernatorial primary against businessman Perry Johnson.
James will face off against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in the general election.
Read more below 👇
An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it ran mostly in MI and names a nominee for governor — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office (a U.S. Senate or House campaign included), or it also names MI's Senate nominees, in which case it is on the Senate race's page. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
The candidates are the ones certified for the November ballot, from the source linked at the top. Governors are state offices, so there are no FEC filings behind this page: no money figures, and outside groups are placed on a side only when they are a campaign or a party committee.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.
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