LANSING — The race to succeed Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is beginning to take shape on both the Democratic and Republican sides, just months ahead of the two parties’ conventions where nominees for the November 2026 general election will be chosen.

On the Democratic side, former Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli, who was also a former member of Governor Whitmer’s administration, announced her candidacy for the increasingly crowded contest for the nomination. The state Democratic Party convention is scheduled to take place in Detroit on April 19.

Shkreli, 38, joins a Democratic field that already includes Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie of Detroit and former State Senator Adam Hollier of Detroit.

In announcing her candidacy on Monday, Shkreli said she had received calls from Democrats across the state expressing concern about whether the other Democratic contenders could win next November.

“I am confident that I am the Democrat who can get the job done at the convention and in the general election,” said Shkreli, an attorney who has held held several positions in Whitmer’s administration.

She explained that she resigned from the Lottery Commission last week to focus on running for Secretary of State, a position responsible for overseeing elections and managing driver and vehicle records statewide.

Under the Michigan Constitution, Benson is barred from seeking a third four-year term. She has launched a campaign for governor, seeking the Democratic nomination in the August 2026 primary to succeed Governor Whitmer, who is also term-limited.

On the Republican side, candidates include Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, Amanda Love, a member of the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education, and Monica Yatooma, a Chaldean American businesswoman and activist from Commerce Township.

The Michigan Republican Party will hold its state convention on March 28 in Novi to select its nominee.

Delegates at both the Republican and Democratic conventions will also choose their parties’ nominees for other statewide offices on the November 2026 ballot, including attorney general, two seats on the State Board of Education and two seats each on the boards of Michigan’s three major public universities: the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University.