Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist announced he withdrew his name from the 2026 gubernatorial race. Instead, he’s running for Secretary of State.
In a video posted on Jan. 12, 2026, Gilchrist announced he is no longer running for governor but instead for secretary of state. It’s not immediately clear why he made the decision.
Michigan’s current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Gilchrist has worked alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer since she was elected in 2019. Whitmer has reached her term limits, making her ineligible to run again.
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, former prosecutor and Michigan Lottery commissioner Suzanna Shkreli, and former State Senator Adam Hollier are among the other candidates for Michigan Secretary of State.
Here are statements from other Secretary of State candidates after Gilchrist’s announcement:
The Secretary of State’s Office is one of the most important positions in state government.
Michiganders need to know that when the going gets tough they have a Secretary of State who won’t quit on them. I will take this fight to the mat and I plan to win it, because our democracy is worth fighting for. I am a proven winner, and have won each and every time my name has appeared on the ballot.
I have lived and breathed elections for over a decade. I have administered 42 elections and helped to shed light on campaign finance here in Ingham County. We need a Secretary of State who is an expert and who is ready to defend democracy on the very first day because threats to our Democracy aren’t going to take time for our next Secretary of State to get up to speed
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum
This office and protecting our vote is too important to be a consolation prize, and I am the best candidate to hold this seat come November. With my experience as a prosecutor and in the Governor’s administration, I bring the grit and toughness to stand up to extremists and protect the votes and voices of Michiganders no matter what comes our way.
I served as Deputy Legal Counsel for Governor Whitmer at the 2020 meeting of the electors, where with our preparation we were able to thwart the fake electors from entering the Capitol. These attacks will only get more dire as we expect extremists to target Michigan in 2028.
Suzanna Shkreli