In Plain English: Michigan’s 2026 Election Year Preview

Governor, US Senator, State Reps, Judges, School Boards and More

2026 is a consequential year for voters across the country, particularly here in Michigan. Open seats include Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State as well as one US Senate seat and all US Congressional Representative seats. Voters will also weigh in on State Legislative seats, Judicial races, the State Board of Education, and University Trustees, as well as various local administrative offices and ballot measures. 

With the deadline to file for most partisan offices coming up on April 21st, it’s not yet possible to discuss the full slate of candidates. However, with so much at stake, it’s important for STN readers and voters to understand what is being decided about their communities and when.

Primary vs. General Election (vs. Special Election)
In Michigan, most offices are decided by voters through a General Election scheduled in November, and this year it falls on November 3rd. However, in order to run for office in that election, most candidates must first win their party’s nomination in an August primary election, which takes place this year on August 4th. 

In the general election, voters can vote for whomever they want for each office, but in a primary election in Michigan, voters must choose a ballot that represents a specific party. A voter can choose any party’s ballot, regardless of whether they are registered with that party, but they can only choose one party. A Michigan primary voter cannot weigh in on candidates from more than one party. 

The primary winners for each office, from each party will then be on the ballot for the November election, where a final winner is elected. Occasionally, candidates run as Independents, meaning they don’t claim any official party affiliation. Those candidates don’t participate in the primary election and instead qualify for the General Election by collecting voter signatures.

Special elections in Michigan can be called if an election is needed but is out of sync with the timing of an August or November election. Because elections cost money, it can be wise for precincts to minimize the number of elections per year but sometimes the need for a voter decision outweighs the cost, and special elections are scheduled. 

State Executive Offices
For the first time since 2018, all four Executive Offices in Michigan–which include the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General–are open in 2026. And while candidates for Governor will face off in their party’s August primary, candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General do not.

Instead, candidates for Secretary of State and Attorney General are determined by registered members of their party during their party’s state nominating convention.The Republican Party’s convention took place on March 28th while the Democratic Party’s state convention is scheduled for April 19th. Voters don’t select the candidates for Lieutenant Governor. Those people will be selected by the gubernatorial candidates who win their primary and then Governor and Lieutenant Governor become a joint ticket. 

US Congressional Races
These races determine who will represent Michigan citizens in federal legislative matters–both in the US Senate and the US House of Representatives–in Washington, D.C. The state of Michigan’s communities are divided into thirteen US Congressional districts and all of those seats are up for election. Washtenaw County is located in Michigan’s 6th District.

One of Michigan’s two US Senate seats is also open after longtime Senator Gary Peters announced last year that he would not run for reelection. Though Michigan’s seats in the US House of Representatives are divided into districts, US Senate seats are statewide so all Michigan voters will have the same candidates on their November ballot. 

The candidates for these seats will either have to win their party’s primary election in August, or collect signatures as an Independent to run in November’s general election. 

State Legislative Races
All of Michigan’s state legislative seats are also up for election this year. These races are to select candidates who will represent local communities in Michigan’s state government in Lansing. Michigan has a total of 38 State Senate seats and 110 State Congressional seats. For STN readers, that includes Michigan Senate’s 14th and 15th Districts and Michigan’s 23rd, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 46th, 47th, and 48th Congressional Districts. 

Candidates for these seats will also have to win their party’s primary election in August or collect signatures to run as an Independent.

Judicial Races
Judicial races in Michigan are complicated. Some judicial seats are elected, some are appointed, some are partisan while others are nonpartisan, some are local and some are statewide. In 2026, there are at least seven judicial seats open for voters in Washtenaw County including three District Judges, two Circuit Court Judges, one Probate Judge and one Appellate Judge. There are also two statewide Michigan Supreme Court seats open. 

District Judges are generally local and mostly preside over misdemeanor criminal cases and local civil cases with smaller monetary amounts. Circuit courts usually handle felony criminal cases and high-dollar civil cases. Probate Judges typically oversee wills, estates, conservatorships and guardianships. 

District, Circuit, Probate, and Appellate Judges are nonpartisan seats so often there is no primary for these candidates. Instead, each candidate must meet certain qualification criteria and file appropriate paperwork. 

Qualified candidates will appear on the ballot in the August election but in most cases, it is considered the general election for these seats, so the winners are final and do not move on to the November election. However, if there are too many candidates, then the August election does serve as a primary, with the top vote earners facing off in the November election.

The two statewide Supreme Court seats are also nonpartisan, but these candidates follow a different path. Though the seat is nonpartisan, candidates are nominated by political parties and are voted on in each party’s state convention–similar to Attorney General and Secretary of State. Nominated candidates then appear on voter ballots in November.

Appellate Judges serve six years terms as part of a three judge panel, overseeing cases that have been appealed at a lower level. Supreme Court Judges serve eight year terms as part of a seven judge panel. The Supreme Court is considered the last resort and is generally for court cases that have exhausted all other appeal options in the state. 

More Races and Ballot Measures
Across the state and for local voters, there are many more offices and ballot measures up for election, including the State Board of Education, Board of Governors at Wayne State University, University of Michigan Regents, and Michigan State University Trustees. 

Many local school districts will also fill open School Board seats including Dexter, Chelsea, Saline, and Milan, along with various township and council positions. Most local level elections are nonpartisan so will take place in November rather than August, making the candidate filing deadline later in July.

Voter Information
Needless to say, 2026 is a pivotal year for Michigan voters. There is a lot to know, and with new candidates added daily, differing deadlines for primary and general elections, verifying up-to-date voter registration, early voting, mail-in voting, and absentee voting, keeping up can be overwhelming. For the most accurate and timely information about elections, voters can always check their information at the Michigan Secretary of State website as well as the Washtenaw County Clerk’s election website. 

Vote.