• The future of democracy is a top issue for Bridge Michigan readers this election year
• All four gubernatorial candidates from both major parties responded to related Bridge questions
• The candidates laid out plans to improve confidence in elections, government transparency and more

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Michigan gubernatorial candidates from both major political parties say they’d work to expand public access to government records and limit the influence of money in Lansing, but they are divided along partisan lines on whether to toughen voting rules in the name of election integrity.

Readers have identified the future of democracy as a top concern, according to Bridge Listens, our nonscientific survey of the state’s most pressing election-year issues.

So we asked gubernatorial candidates how or if they’d try to change voting access, address the influence of money in politics, improve government transparency, grow confidence in elections and overcome political polarization.

There are four major party candidates left in the race ahead of the Aug. 4 primary:

• Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat
• US Rep. John James, a Republican
• Businessman Perry Johnson, a Republican
• Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, a Democrat

Read summaries of their responses below, and click here to see their full, unedited answers. 

Voting rules

The question: After several voter-approved changes, Michiganders have a menu of options for casting a ballot and multiple ways to verify their identity. Are there changes you’d like to make to Michigan’s voting system, and how would you accomplish those changes? 

James and Johnson, Republicans who have questioned the legitimacy of President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, say they want to tighten voter ID requirements and require additional review of the state’s election system. 

Related:

• Bridge Listens: The state of democracy, transparency in Michigan
• In their own words: Michigan governor candidate on voting rules, democracy
• Read the full Bridge Listens series

Both said they want to require ID to vote, which would eliminate a current affidavit option for voters who don’t have or forget their ID. James said he “enthusiastically” supports a potential ballot proposal that would also require the state to verify citizenship for voter registration. 

James also supports the federal SAVE Act, which he voted for in Congress. Like the state proposal, it would require proof of citizenship for people registering to vote or updating their registration, among other things. 

Benson, a Democrat who as secretary of state has overseen Michigan’s decentralized election system since 2019, said the proposed law — which has stalled in the US House — is “misguided” and “could disenfranchise millions of married women” whose last names no longer match required documentation. 

Neither Benson nor fellow Democrat Chris Swanson called for making Michigan’s voting rules more strict, and both said the state’s next governor must work to defend against any attempts to do so. 

Benson advocated for broader election-related policy changes instead.

“We must enact reforms to protect our election system from the spread of misinformation, hold accountable bad actors who use AI to mislead voters, and expand our cybersecurity protections so that foreign adversaries are unable to interfere with our voting systems,” she told Bridge.

Swanson said election administration could improve and called for “strengthening chain-of-custody procedures, post-election audits and public education so voters understand exactly how ballots are secured and counted.”

Money in politics

The question: There is broad agreement among voters that money plays too large a role in our politics. Would you seek to reduce the influence of money in Michigan’s politics, in campaign finance, lobbying or through other avenues? How? 

Like much of the public, all the candidates running for Michigan governor agreed money’s influence in politics should be curtailed.

“Right now, corporate influence shares our policies in Michigan more than the people do,” said Benson, a Democrat, who is calling for policies similar to a potential ballot proposal that would ban state contractors and regulated utilities from being able to spend in state-level elections. 

Benson ascribed the high costs of water, electricity and prescriptions to corporate influence, and noted her advocacy to bring greater transparency to campaign finance in Michigan. 

Swanson, a fellow Democrat, was less specific. He called for “stronger transparency around campaign spending and lobbying” in general, and said “restoring trust isn’t about passing one law—it’s about building a government that earns the public’s confidence every day.” 

Johnson, a Republican and wealthy businessman, touted the fact he is funding his own campaign. “I refuse to be owned by Lansing lobbyists or the special interests that profit from state government,” he said.

He also advocated for more robust campaign finance disclosure, saying he would support “faster online disclosure of major contributions and independent expenditures.”

Comparing political contributions with “state contracts, grants, tax credits and economic development deals” should be easy, Johnson added, promising to place the information in “one searchable location.”

Every candidate called for a cooling-off period before lawmakers who leave office can become lobbyists, which reform advocates say could cause conflicts of interest. Legislation calling for a two-year ban has already been sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her potential signature, so that may not be an issue for the state’s next governor. 

James, a Republican, said he also wants to ban “taxpayer-funded lobbying” — which many local governments, universities and schools engage in to advocate for more funding — and said he would ban policymakers’ ability to fundraise during legislative sessions. 

He also called for banning loopholes that may allow officials to accept gifts from lobbyists without reporting them and promised to strengthen conflict of interest laws “so public office isn’t used for personal gain,” though he didn’t specify what that would entail.

Government transparency 

The question: Michigan has long had some of the worst marks in the nation for government transparency. Will you commit to voluntarily opening your office to Freedom of Information Act requests even if the legislature fails to act? What other reforms would you propose to improve ethics and transparency in state government? 

Michigan is one of only two states in the nation to fully exempt the governor’s office and Legislature from public records requests, which means the public cannot access related documents produced using taxpayer funds. 

As a candidate in 2018, Whitmer had pledged to voluntarily open her office up to such requests if lawmakers did not expand the Freedom of Information Act, but she has not done so. 

Three of the four candidates running to replace her said they would finally do so if elected governor — James, a Republican, was the sole candidate not to do so. 

“I’ll support ending FOIA exemptions so the governor’s office, the executive branch and the Legislature are all subject to public scrutiny,” James said, backing legislative reform rather than voluntary disclosure. 

James also criticized Benson for the bumpy rollout of a new government transparency portal in the department she oversees, among other things.

He promised his administration would “strengthen ethics standards by requiring ethics clauses in employment agreements, mandatory ethics training and stronger whistleblower protections.”

Johnson, a fellow Republican, said he would open his office to public records requests on his first day in office “while maintaining legitimate protections for personal privacy, public safety, active law-enforcement matters and attorney-client privilege.”

He pointed to his promised “MEGA audit” as a means of building lasting transparency, and said “every major state expenditure should show the recipient, the decision-maker, the stated purpose, the performance requirements, and the actual results.”

“I will establish an independent inspector general, strengthen whistleblower protections, preserve official communications as public records, and prohibit state officials from using disappearing messages or private accounts to evade disclosure,” Johnson added.

Benson, a Democrat, turned to her record as secretary of state, saying she “consistently pushed for greater transparency from all leaders in state government” and argued she had the “strongest and most comprehensive transparency plan of any candidate in this race.”

Fellow Democrat Swanson called for “limiting unnecessary secrecy in government, strengthening ethics rules, and making sure public officials are accountable to the people they represent.”

But he argued transparency “is only part of fixing Lansing” and also proposed “reviewing agencies” like the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to “ensure they’re creating opportunity across the entire state—not just for those with the right political connections.”

Election integrity

The question: Michigan’s electoral process has weathered unprecedented scrutiny — and skepticism — since 2020. How can you improve confidence in the state’s elections, and will you pledge to accept the results of the August and November elections, regardless of the outcome? 

All the candidates agreed to accept the results of the upcoming elections, but the Republicans had some caveats. 

James, who conceded his own 2020 election loss but has since questioned it, said he would accept the results of this year’s election if it is “conducted fairly, securely and transparently and properly certified by the board of state canvassers.” 

Recent changes to state law make election certification a virtual certainty. 

Johnson, a fellow Republican, said he would accept the “final lawful and certified” election results “while also reserving my right to request a lawful recount or challenge specific irregularities through the courts.”

“There is a clear line between using the legal process and attempting to intimidate election workers, encourage violence, or disregard a final lawful result,” Johnson added. “I will respect that line, enforce that line and expect every candidate in both parties to do the same.”

Benson, a Democrat who has implemented a firewall to separate her campaign from her duties as secretary of state, encouraged “all citizens to ask tough questions about our processes and seek trusted sources of information — like local clerks — for accurate answers.”

She also encouraged voters to “to serve as a poll worker, election challenger, or observer, or participate in post-election audits, or attend” public local voting machine tests “to see our election security firsthand.”

Fellow Democrat Swanson pledged to accept the results of the election and said “every legal vote should be counted, and the will of Michigan voters should always determine the outcome of our elections.”

Political polarization

The question: Nationwide, the risk of political violence is rising, and divisions in Lansing, too, have led the legislature to miss budget deadlines two years running. What will you do as governor to reduce dysfunction, bring the parties together and lower the temperature? Can you name an issue where you’re looking forward to partnering with the other party? 

All candidates said there are opportunities to work across the aisle in Lansing.

“No one party has all the answers, and it will require working together to deliver for Michiganders,” said Benson, a Democrat. “If we do that, we can build more housing, improve infrastructure, grow small businesses, and create good-paying jobs faster.”

Swanson said he’d work with Republicans on improving workforce development and expanding skilled trades.

“My job won’t be to win political arguments. My job will be to solve problems for the people of Michigan,” he said. 

Among Republicans, James said he’d like to work with Democrats on transparency and ethics reform.

“I’ll work with anyone willing to increase transparency, strengthen ethical standards for public officials, and restore trust in state government because accountability shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” he said.

Johnson also pointed to transparency as an area of potential bipartisan cooperation, and said his “MEGA audit” could be an opportunity for unity, too, although he’s promoted it as a way to slash government funding in a way Democrats are likely to oppose.

“I also believe we can work together on protecting the Great Lakes, improving roads, and delivering meaningful property-tax relief,” Johnson said. 

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