Democrat Garlin Gilchrist II won Michigan’s secretary of state race, defeating Republican Anthony G. Forlini, according to The Associated Press.
AP called the race at 2 a.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 4. As of its 7:41 a.m. EST update, Gilchrist had 2,519,997 votes, or 53.7%, compared with Forlini’s 2,046,566 votes, or 43.6%. AP estimated that 96% of votes had been counted.
AP has declared Gilchrist the winner. Vote totals remain unofficial and may change as additional ballots are counted.
Gilchrist is Michigan’s lieutenant governor, while Forlini is the Macomb County clerk. Gilchrist will succeed Democrat Jocelyn Benson, who is leaving the office after eight years because of term limits, as the Michigan Independent reported.
Michigan secretary of state results
The following figures appeared in AP’s 7:41 a.m. EST update Nov. 4:
Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Garlin Gilchrist II — AP winner | Democratic | 2,519,997 | 53.7% |
Anthony G. Forlini | Republican | 2,046,566 | 43.6% |
Christine Sloan | Libertarian | 76,706 | 1.6% |
Scott E. Aughney | U.S. Taxpayers | 27,974 | 0.6% |
Green Party candidate Eric Borregard also appeared on the ballot, according to the Michigan Department of State’s candidate list. His total was not shown in the available AP results excerpt. The table therefore does not represent all votes cast in the race.
Gilchrist led Forlini by 473,431 votes in that update. AP’s estimated share of votes counted is not a precinct reporting percentage.
What the office does
Gilchrist will oversee Michigan’s administration of the 2028 presidential election.
The secretary of state is Michigan’s chief election official. The Department of State also administers driver’s licensing, vehicle registration and campaign finance disclosure.
Where the candidates stand
Both Gilchrist and Forlini called for more election transparency and better service at branch offices where residents get driver’s licenses and plates, according to Gilchrist’s campaign website and Forlini’s campaign priorities.
They differed over access to voter data. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Michigan seeking its unredacted voter list. On June 24, a federal appeals court upheld dismissal of that lawsuit, according to the Michigan attorney general’s office.
Gilchrist told Votebeat he would not provide an unredacted voter roll, saying residents expect government to protect their personal information.
Forlini did not give a yes-or-no answer. He described accurate voter rolls as a shared state-federal goal regardless of the president, Votebeat reported.
Under Forlini, Macomb County launched Ballot Verifier, which lets users compare ballot images with tabulator records. Some low-turnout ballot data is masked to protect voter privacy, according to the county clerk’s FAQ. He also advocated longer retention of election records, including electronic pollbook data, Votebeat reported.
Gilchrist, a former software engineer, proposed a campaign finance plan he calls “Stand TALL,” according to his campaign website. His stated first-year goals include pushing for disclosure of dark money donors before elections and real-time enforcement of campaign finance violations, Votebeat reported.
Where to follow results
Readers can follow additional returns through AP’s Michigan secretary of state results tracker and Michigan’s official election results hub.
AP’s race call is separate from the official canvassing and certification process. Vote totals remain unofficial until that process is complete. This article will be updated as additional totals become available.
