“The pattern you’ve seen over and over is when the Democratic Party moved too far left or the Republican Party moved too far right, you had a candidate step in and say I want to represent the whole state.”

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, announcing he will run as an independent for governor of Michigan in 2026. He’s served as a Democrat as mayor. Like other swing states, Michigan tilted to the right in November, with Donald Trump carrying the state and Democrats losing their state House majority. Other prominent Democrats might have been tough for him to beat for the nomination, but Duggan argues an independent can govern more effectively and detoxify the political environment in Lansing. (AP – Dec. 4, 2024)