WWJ NEWSRADIO: Sheriff Chris Swanson says he’ll run a ‘campaign of hope,’ not an ‘attack campaign’ in bid for Michigan governor
(WWJ) — Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson has officially entered the race to become Michigan’s next governor.
Swanson formally made the announcement he’ll be running as a Democrat in the 2026 gubernatorial race with a rally on Thursday night. Other candidates to enter the race thus far include Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, independent Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Republican Sen. Aric Nesbitt.
Swanson says he’ll bring a “fresh voice and a new energy” to the race as somebody who’s “got a history and a background of taking care of people.”
“That’s what sheriffs do. We enforce laws, we protect people, we maintain order, we give hope. And I get to bring that,” Swanson said live on WWJ Newsradio 950 Friday morning. “When you look at what’s happening in the world, you need leadership that can inspire people. All those things, I check those boxes and I have done it for 32 years. And I’m anxious and excited to bring it to 10 million people.”
Swanson says one thing that will separate him from other political candidates is the way he approaches the campaign in hopes of “changing the way people view politics.”
“Our campaign is focused, the whole team is, we’re running a campaign of hope. And it’s not an attack campaign,” Swanson said. “We’re gonna defend our positions, but all the individuals that are in there right now — the mayor, the secretary of state, even our senator — I’m friends with all of them.”
He said he views the other candidates as “options, not opponents” and he hopes a more friendly and positive approach will “inspire the next generation of political leaders.
“And I’m gonna do it in a positive way. I think people are hungry for that and they’re exhausted with the hate and the negative,” he said.
With 32 years of experience in law enforcement, Swanson weighed in on the fentanyl and border crisis, as Michigan is a border state.
He told WWJ’s Jackie Paige and Jonathan Carlson he’ll enact what he calls “Operation Vigilant” to crack down on the flow of fentanyl.
“I’m gonna enact that on every expressway because 85% of all the fentanyl that comes into Michigan comes on the expressways — I-94, I-96, US-23, I-75 — we’re able to identify traffickers that are moving fentanyl in vehicles and trucks and you can identify, stop and stop the supply line. That’s the thing; if you break the supply chain, you help stop it from getting to the end user,” he said.
Swanson said he’ll focus on helping those addicted as well.
“We’re gonna build them up, we’re gonna give them the hope they need. I’ve done that and I’m gonna continue to do that,” Swanson said.
The sheriff said his campaign will also improve on improving education in Michigan and continuing to fix the state’s roads.