MI · Candidate
Garlin Gilchrist II
DCandidate
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: Secretary of State of Michigan
Biography
Garlin Gilchrist is the Democratic nominee for Michigan Secretary of State and has been lieutenant governor since 2019. A computer engineer by training, he left the race for governor in January 2026 to run for this office, and is campaigning on protecting voter data from federal access, campaign-finance transparency and better Secretary of State branch services.[1][2]
Gilchrist is a computer engineer by training; according to his official state biography he is a software engineer.[1][4] In 2017 he ran unsuccessfully for Detroit city clerk against incumbent Janice Winfrey.[1][2] He has been lieutenant governor since 2019, serving alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.[1]
In January 2026 Gilchrist dropped out of the race for governor and entered the Secretary of State race.[1] Michigan Democrats chose him as their nominee for secretary of state at the party's convention on April 19, 2026.[3] His state biography says he lives in Detroit with his wife and children.[4]
- 1.Michigan secretary of state candidates share election policies · Votebeat · 2026-03-02 News report
- 2.Michigan secretary of state candidates weigh in on election transparency, Trump administration · Michigan Advance / Votebeat · 2026-10-08 News report
- 3.Michigan Democrats choose Lt. Gov. Gilchrist as secretary of state nominee, Eli Savit for AG · WILX · 2026-04-19 News report
- 4.Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II · State of Michigan Official record
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.
On the ballot
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