Garlin Gilchrist backs out of Michigan governor's race, setting sights on Secretary of State
Michigan Lt. Gov Garlin Gilchrist II announced a major shift in his political goals, aiming now for the Secretary of State role rather than becoming Michigan's next governor.
"I'm a public servant, an entrepreneur, a dad, a husband, and an engineer who spent a lot of my life making the government actually work for people. I'm not done with that, not by a long shot. Today, I am declaring my candidacy for Secretary of State of Michigan," Gilchrist posted on social media Monday.
Gilchrist had announced his intention to run for governor during the 2026 campaign season in March 2025. Even at that date, the race was crowded with contenders.
Gilchrist is serving as lieutenant governor with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. But Whitmer is among the state officials who have reached term limits in their current roles and cannot run again. Michigan's Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, is also facing term limits and cannot run again in her current seat. Instead, Benson is running for governor.
In his announcement, Gilchrist thanked Michiganders for their support in his effort to run for governor, and listed some of this campaign goals for Secretary of State. In Michigan, the Secretary of State is responsible for voting and election-related matters along with the department of motor vehicles and driver's license matters.
"As Secretary of State, I will shine a light on dark money and put the public first. I will modernize licensing and registration by providing smart, 21st-century service. I'll protect your privacy and never allow your identity, voter registration information, or license plate data to be mined by big tech companies or surveilled by the Trump administration," he said.
"Michigan has been ground zero in the battle for free and fair elections before, and it will be again."
Gilchrist earned two engineering degrees at the University of Michigan, then became a software engineer at Microsoft. After moving back home to Detroit, he went into public service for the city. He lives in Detroit with his wife, Ellen, where they are raising their three children.