Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist has ended his bid to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, pivoting instead to the race for Michigan secretary of state. Gilchrist announced the move Monday morning in a campaign video, confirming weeks of speculation that he would drop out of the crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary, where Jocelyn Benson held a clear advantage in fundraising and party enthusiasm.
In his announcement, Gilchrist framed the secretary of state race as central to protecting elections and modernizing state services. He said he would focus on election integrity, government transparency, and updating licensing and registration systems, while opposing the influence of dark money and corporate data mining. Gilchrist acknowledged the governor’s race, now narrowed to Benson and Chris Swanson, was not the right moment for his candidacy, but said his public service work in Michigan is far from finished.
Gilchrist now enters a competitive Democratic field that includes Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, former state Sen. Adam Hollier, and former Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. With the Democratic nomination decided at the party’s convention rather than through a primary, union backing and internal party support will likely determine the outcome. Shkreli, who entered the race recently, has already criticized Gilchrist’s move, warning that the office should not be treated as a fallback position.
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- NMD Staff
Staff@NewMediaDetroit.com