SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN (WXYZ) — Aric Nesbitt, the Republican Minority leader in Michigan's senate, has announced that he will be running for governor in 2026.
Nesbitt represents the the 20th district, which includes most of Van Buren County, Central Allegan County, Northern Berrien County and Byron Township & Gaines Township in Kent County. He has previously represented the 66th District in the Michigan House of Representatives and served as the Michigan Lottery Commissioner in 2017 and 2018.
According to his campaign website, Nesbitt was raised on a farm in Southwest Michigan and graduated from Hillsdale College. He lives down the road from his family farm with his wife and two kids.
"I’m running for Governor to take back our state from liberal elites and deliver bold, conservative reforms to revive our manufacturing industry, protect our communities, and preserve our God-given freedoms and Pure Michigan way of life," Nesbitt says on his website.
