Michigan Race: Democratic Candidate Airs on Radio, Republican Campaign Silent

Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic candidate for governor of Michigan, appeared on the public radio program Stateside on Monday, October 26, 2026. She spoke to producers about her campaign for the top executive post in the state.

Producers for the show reported that they have made multiple attempts to contact John James, the Republican candidate for the same office. The James campaign had not returned those calls as of the broadcast. The hosts said the offer to schedule an interview remains open for later in the week.

The broadcast also featured Anna Ansari, author of Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing. She discussed her work on culinary history from Baku to Beijing.

Molly Mitchell, founder of the Detroit diner Rose's, also joined the show. The New York Times recently listed Rose's among 50 favorite restaurants in America. Ansari and Mitchell talked about a collaborative dining experience they plan to host this week.

The final segment of the program, titled On Hand, examined the unpredictability of Michigan elections. David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University in Oakland County, explained the factors that make the state's voting patterns difficult to forecast in national politics.