Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson Files 26,752 Signatures to Run for Michigan Governor

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson has officially qualified to run for Michigan governor after submitting 26,752 petition signatures to the state.

Swanson, a Democrat, delivered the signatures to Lansing on Friday morning, April 17, according to a news release from his campaign. The filings come after months of campaigning across Michigan, with Swanson logging more than 73,000 miles during his 14-month campaign since announcing his candidacy on February 6, 2025.

"The working class is on the ballot, that's what these 26,752 signatures from all 83 counties mean," Swanson said in a statement. "For too long, working people in this state have played by the rules, shown up, put in the hours, and got left behind. That ends when I'm governor. Thousands of people from every county of this great state signed their name because they're ready for a governor who actually fights for them and with them."

Swanson's campaign called the signature filing a significant milestone. The sheriff has traveled extensively throughout Michigan since his February announcement at Mott Community College in Flint.

Swanson entered the gubernatorial race with an announcement that drew attention to his background as a law enforcement leader. He rose to national prominence in 2020 when he joined a march protesting the death of George Floyd, who was killed while being arrested in Minneapolis.

Swanson also founded IGNITE, a jailhouse education program designed to reduce recidivism rates. The program, which stands for Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education, has attracted attention from Harvard researchers and has been implemented by hundreds of other sheriffs across the country.

With Swanson's filing, the Michigan gubernatorial field now includes several prominent Democratic candidates. Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's Secretary of State, and Tom Leonard both filed signatures this week to qualify for the ballot.

Swanson joins Benson and Leonard as Democratic contenders who will compete for the nomination before facing Republican and independent candidates in the general election. The race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to spark competitive primaries.

Swanson says he considers the other candidates as simply alternative options, rather than his opponents. "When I was working with the Biden administration and then I worked with the DNC and the Kamala Harris campaign, I saw the need of what Democrats are looking for," he said. "I bring a completely different option. I bring a unique energy."

The sheriff grew up in Grand Blanc in a working-class family that emphasized hard work and taking care of others. Those values, he says, inform his approach to public service and governance.