Pete Buttigieg to endorse Jocelyn Benson for Michigan governor

Pete Buttigieg will endorse Jocelyn Benson in her campaign for Michigan governor on Monday, weighing in on a race he was once a favorite to win and wielding his influence in a swing state that will be critical to Democrats’ efforts to win the Senate this fall and retake the White House in 2028. The endorsement from Buttigieg, a rumored 2028 presidential hopeful with a high national profile, marks the former transportation secretary’s first endorsement of a statewide candidate in Michigan and is likely to boost Benson ahead of a competitive general election fight.

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“In Michigan, I’ve seen firsthand how Jocelyn Benson has delivered for the people of this state and shown how government can make everyday life better throughout her public service,” Buttigieg said in a statement provided to MS NOW ahead of  the endorsement. “I know Jocelyn, and I am confident she will be an excellent governor.”

Benson has won statewide before and is Michigan’s current secretary of state.

Buttigieg is scheduled to appear with Benson at a campaign event in Traverse City, Michigan, where he has lived since 2022. They’re slated to speak about “lowering costs for Michigan families, defending democracy and building an economy where everyone has the opportunity to succeed,” according to Benson’s campaign. Benson has made affordability the centerpiece of her platform, traveling across the state in recent weeks as part of an ongoing “Costs Down, Wages Up” tour.

A source close to Buttigieg, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, suggested to MS NOW that additional Michigan endorsements could be forthcoming. “You will see him campaigning for Michigan Democrats, including downballot candidates, all across the state ahead of the midterms,” the source said.

Buttigieg was once considered a favorite for Michigan’s open Senate and gubernatorial seats, aided by a reputation as a fundraiser and a public profile that has only grown, from small-town Indiana mayor to 2020 presidential candidate to transportation secretary under Joe Biden. Although he opted against competing in either race, he has remained active in midterm politics, offering endorsements to more than 50 candidates across 22 states. 

Buttigieg has been more involved in competitive swing states, offering the most endorsements to candidates in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. Buttigieg hasn’t hesitated to wade into divisive ideological battles: He backed centrist Angie Craig over progressive Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota’s democratic Senate primary and moderate Josh Turek over progressive Zach Wahls in Iowa’s Democratic contest for Senate. 

Despite making endorsements in more than eight Senate contests, Buttigieg has so far stayed out of Michigan’s competitive Democratic Senate primary, which pits Rep. Haley Stevens, endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, against health professional Abdul El-Sayed, who has been endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow exited the contest on Sunday.

His endorsement of Benson does little to change the dynamic of the Democratic gubernatorial primary, in which the current Michigan secretary of state is polling roughly 50 points ahead of her only challenger. But Buttigieg’s political clout could aid Benson as she readies for a general election battle against either Trump-endorsed Rep. John James, former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox or businessman Perry Johnson, whose previous effort to secure the Republican nomination in 2022 was disqualified by the Board of State Canvassers for signature fraud.

James, the Republican front-runner, has repeated many of the culture war attacks that Trump and his allies have long used to disparage Michigan Democrats, including current governor Gretchen Whitmer, accusing Benson of supporting a “radical” agenda that has driven up costs, pushing “gender ideology” in schools “instead of math, science and literacy,” and “forcing” women to compete alongside transgender women in sports. James has also attempted to sow doubt about the integrity of the upcoming election, claiming in a social media video that Benson’s ongoing role as secretary of state would enable her to “put her thumb on the scales.”