MI-SOS: Gilchrist (D) endorsement blitz shows strength in late-game bid to be Michigan's next Secretary of State
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist only entered the race for Secretary of State two weeks ago. In that time, key Democrats have been rallying around him, showing off the type of organizing and bridge-building strength he’ll certainly need to get over the edge with delegates at the party’s spring endorsement convention.
Gilchrist left the gubernatorial race on Jan. 12, citing his intention to play a bigger role against threats from President Donald Trump and federal officials to meddle in upcoming elections, and broader threats to democracy that have faced the state and nation.
That said, Gilchrist was running second fiddle to current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who remains the frontrunner in the governor’s race and now only faces Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the upcoming August primary.
Gilchrist’s entrance into the Democratic secretary of state contest, which is heavily influenced by the state’s powerful unions and interest groups at the party’s spring and summer conventions, immediately pushed another candidate, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, out of the race. Edevbie has since endorsed Gilchrist.
https://michiganadvance.com/2026/01/26/gilchrist-endorsement-blitz-shows-strength-in-late-game-bid-to-be-michigans-next-secretary-of-state/