Polling Average
50%40%30%20%10%0%
9.3%
37.3%
28.1%
15.2%
5.4%
Michigan Republican Governor nominee?
$243.5K
AUG 5, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleFormer Attorney General
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age64 years old (Dec 30, 1961)
GenderMale
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LocationMichigan
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BA)
Notable personal detailsMichael Anthony Cox is an American attorney and Republican politician who served as Michigan Attorney General from 2003 to 2011. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he later worked as a prosecutor and then built a private law practice. He previously ran for governor in 2010 and is a candidate for Michigan governor in 2026. He is married to Laura Cox, a former Michigan Republican Party chair and former ICE special agent.
SourcesShowHide
mikecox2026.comapnews.comen.wikipedia.orgwikidata.orglegislature.mi.govmichfb.commichiganrepublicanprimary.comeverything.explained.todaysbam.orgmichiganadvance.comwdet.orgvotecox.comdemocraticgovernors.orgelectionarchive.washtenaw.orggraahi.orgcbsnews.comreview-mag.comwachlerblog.comfoxnews.comwkar.orgmikecoxlaw.comourmidland.comlifenews.combridgemi.comleaderpub.comag.state.mi.usmichigandems.comes.wikipedia.orglegislation.ballotpedia.orgvoterguide.ballotpedia.orgdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgcba.ballotpedia.orgdonate.ballotpedia.orgassets.apnews.comcdn.ballotpedia.orggovinfo.govcongress.govnga.orgballotready.orgfec.govncsl.orgepw.senate.govjudiciary.senate.govcommons.wikimedia.orgcreativecommons.orgupload.wikimedia.orgjustfacts.votesmart.org
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
The candidate advocates eliminating Michigan’s state income tax and cutting taxes for small businesses while reducing government spending and bureaucracy. His platform calls for eliminating the income tax to “end the tax on work” and for broad spending cuts as part of shrinking government.
Healthcare
Mike Cox has opposed the Affordable Care Act and, as Michigan attorney general, joined legal efforts challenging the law; his campaign materials emphasize market-based measures such as prescription drug price transparency rather than support for expanding federal coverage programs.
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Immigration & Border
Supports stronger immigration enforcement and state authority to assist in enforcing immigration laws, including actions to crack down on illegal immigration and backing Arizona’s 2010 law that allowed local officers to question and potentially arrest undocumented immigrants.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Mike Cox has opposed abortion and as Michigan Attorney General defended state abortion restrictions, including appeals to uphold a partial-birth abortion ban; he has received endorsements from anti-abortion groups. His public record shows support for enforcing limits on abortion rather than supporting unrestricted access.
Climate & Energy
Supports prioritizing local control and market-driven decisions on energy and development projects, favors keeping existing fossil-fuel generation (including “clean coal”) operational to provide cheaper energy, and seeks requirements that large developers build dedicated power capacity rather than statewide mandates for renewable transitions. Positions emphasize lower taxes, local permitting, and technology requirements for projects rather than aggressive regulatory climate targets.
Public Safety & Guns
Mike Cox has publicly defended Second Amendment rights, promoted concealed-carry reciprocity, and opposed local handgun bans. His record as Michigan Attorney General includes filing amicus briefs supporting gun-owner rights and actions to expand recognition of Michigan concealed-pistol licenses.
News
AINews Summary
Last updatedJan 8, 2026
After years of being gaslighted by some of the most dishonest people in government and the media, The Gateway Pundit, along with some of the most respected election investigators in the state, are looking forward to blowing the lid off the lies about Detroit’s “secure” 2020 election that helped to give Joe Biden with an inexplicable victory in the must-win state of Michigan.
mikecox2026.com+46
Polls
Michigan Republican Governor nominee?
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Endorsements
- Fundraising