Former Michigan House speaker joins increasingly crowded GOP primary for Michigan governor

LANSING—A former GOP state lawmaker who served as speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives is joining a crowded bench seeking the Republican nomination for the 2026 gubernatorial race in the battleground state.

Tom Leonard, who served in the state Legislature from 2013 to 2018, announced his bid for governor Tuesday. He joins three other Republicans in the state who are seeking the office and likely also the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

Leonard ran for attorney general in Michigan twice, losing to Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel in the 2018 general election by 3 percentage points and to conservative attorney Matthew DePerno in the 2022 GOP primary. He served as the Michigan House chamber’s top lawmaker from 2017 to 2018.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is now term-limited and cannot run again. Candidates from both parties—and one in between—have lined up to replace her.

On the Republican side, Leonard joins the field that includes US Rep. John James, former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and state Senate Leader Aaric Nesbitt. The three have closely aligned their campaigns to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” vision.

In a video advertisement announcing his campaign, Leonard focused on affordability and education. While the video showed a headline of Trump tapping Leonard as U.S. attorney in 2019, Leonard said, “As President Trump protects his border, I’ll have his back.” However, Leonard was never confirmed for the position due to objections from Michigan’s two Democratic senators.

On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are competing for the nomination.

And finally, the longtime Democratic mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan is running for governor, but as an independent.

Nationwide, midterm elections tend to favor the party not in power, which could boost the Democratic nominee in 2026. But in recent memory in Michigan, the governor’s office has flipped to the opposite party every time there has been an open race.