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Michigan Secretary of State
2026 Michigan Michigan Secretary of State — General Election · November 3, 2026
Official filing status and all displayed profile fields are shown with retained source evidence. Final ballot placement remains explicitly pending.
Last reviewed September 17, 2026Policy statements from campaign-controlled sources are labeled candidate positions; they are not independently presented as proven outcomes.
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Office: Secretary of State 4 Year Term (1) Position
Candidate: Gilchrist II, Garlin
Party / incumbent: Democratic Party
Filed on: 08/31/2026
Filing method: Convention
Only contact details published in official filing records, FEC filings, or a verified candidate-owned source with retained exact evidence appear here.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
Office: Secretary of State 4 Year Term (1) Position
Candidate: Gilchrist II, Garlin
Party / incumbent: Democratic Party
Filed on: 08/31/2026
Filing method: Convention
Discovery lead only: live candidate name and current office verification required
Publication here means only that the contact detail appeared in the cited filing. It is not an endorsement, and older filings may remain visible until an amended official record is captured.
Verified records and candidate-provided claims are labeled separately.
Bobby J Hopewell, Former Mayor of Kalamazoo
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Bobby J Hopewell, Former Mayor of Kalamazoo
Nancy Quarles, Former State Representative
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Nancy Quarles, Former State Representative
Tommy Stallworth, Former State Representative
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Tommy Stallworth, Former State Representative
Steve Tobocman, Former State Representative
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Steve Tobocman, Former State Representative
Bob King, Former President of the UAW
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Bob King, Former President of the UAW
Wendell Byrd, Former State Representative
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Wendell Byrd, Former State Representative
Pat Gagliardi, Former State Representative
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Pat Gagliardi, Former State Representative
A position shows what the candidate said—not FactVote's endorsement.
Each summary is supported by the candidate's own words from a campaign source, direct candidate response, or official primary record retained with the profile.
Garlin Gilchrist is a husband, dad, a public servant, and an engineer dedicated to making government work for regular people. Now, he’s running for Secretary of State to make government work for all of us — and to protect your right to vote.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
Garlin Gilchrist is a husband, dad, a public servant, and an engineer dedicated to making government work for regular people. Now, he’s running for Secretary of State to make government work for all of us — and to protect your right to vote.
As your Secretary of State, Garlin will stand tall for our democracy, defend your sacred right to vote, and make government services better, faster, and more convenient.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
As your Secretary of State, Garlin will stand tall for our democracy, defend your sacred right to vote, and make government services better, faster, and more convenient.
Fight for more legislative action that shine a light on dark money in our politics.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
Fight for more legislative action that shine a light on dark money in our politics.
Garlin Gilchrist is a husband, dad, a public servant, and an engineer dedicated to making government work for regular people. Now, he’s running for Secretary of State to make government work for all of us — and to protect your right to vote.Working alongside Governor Whitmer, Garlin has a proven track record of leading and delivering for Michigan. He played a leading role in delivering free pre-k for all, increasing small business success and diversifying the state economy, protecting abortion access, bringing more high-quality jobs to Michigan, reforming our justice system to create opportunity and keep communities safe, and connecting tens of thousands of Michiganders to reliable, affordable and fast internet….
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
Garlin Gilchrist is a husband, dad, a public servant, and an engineer dedicated to making government work for regular people. Now, he’s running for Secretary of State to make government work for all of us — and to protect your right to vote.Working alongside Governor Whitmer, Garlin has a proven track record of leading and delivering for Michigan. He played a leading role in delivering free pre-k for all, increasing small business success and diversifying the state economy, protecting abortion access, bringing more high-quality jobs to Michigan, reforming our justice system to create opportunity and keep communities safe, and connecting tens of thousands of Michiganders to reliable, affordable and fast internet….
Garlin Gilchrist is a husband, dad, a public servant, and an engineer dedicated to making government work for regular people. Now, he’s running for Secretary of State to make government work for all of us — and to protect your right to vote.Working alongside Governor Whitmer, Garlin has a proven track record of leading and delivering for Michigan. He played a leading role in delivering free pre-k for all, increasing small business success and diversifying the state economy, protecting abortion access, bringing more high-quality jobs to Michigan, reforming our justice system to create opportunity and keep communities safe, and connecting tens of thousands of Michiganders to reliable, affordable and fast internet.Garlin is committed to building a Michigan where every person can reach their full potential.As the country’s only statewide elected software engineer, Garlin has focused on making the government actually work for people, He believes it’s time for bold, fearless leadership to stand against the threats to democracy in the face of a President who acts like a king. If our democratic system doesn’t work, we lose the most important tool we have to really solve the problems every Michigander faces from unaffordable childcare, housing, and healthcare.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
Garlin Gilchrist is a husband, dad, a public servant, and an engineer dedicated to making government work for regular people. Now, he’s running for Secretary of State to make government work for all of us — and to protect your right to vote.Working alongside Governor Whitmer, Garlin has a proven track record of leading and delivering for Michigan. He played a leading role in delivering free pre-k for all, increasing small business success and diversifying the state economy, protecting abortion access, bringing more high-quality jobs to Michigan, reforming our justice system to create opportunity and keep communities safe, and connecting tens of thousands of Michiganders to reliable, affordable and fast internet.Garlin is committed to building a Michigan where every person can reach their full potential.As the country’s only statewide elected software engineer, Garlin has focused on making the government actually work for people, He believes it’s time for bold, fearless leadership to stand against the threats to democracy in the face of a President who acts like a king. If our democratic system doesn’t work, we lose the most important tool we have to really solve the problems every Michigander faces from unaffordable childcare, housing, and healthcare.
As your Secretary of State, Garlin will stand tall for our democracy, defend your sacred right to vote, and make government services better, faster, and more convenient.Fight for more legislative action that shine a light on dark money in our politics.Modernize licensing and registration by providing smarter, 21st century service.Stand tall against big tech companies and the Trump administration who want to abuse your personal voter registration information or license-plate data.Hold accountable companies that rip you off when you get your car fixed.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
As your Secretary of State, Garlin will stand tall for our democracy, defend your sacred right to vote, and make government services better, faster, and more convenient.Fight for more legislative action that shine a light on dark money in our politics.Modernize licensing and registration by providing smarter, 21st century service.Stand tall against big tech companies and the Trump administration who want to abuse your personal voter registration information or license-plate data.Hold accountable companies that rip you off when you get your car fixed.
Use the Secretary of State's office to defend voting rights and protect free and fair elections.
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Improve Secretary of State services so they are faster, more convenient, and more responsive to residents.
No verbatim excerpt is retained for this summary. Read the cited source for the original wording.
Fight for additional legislation that exposes dark-money influence in Michigan politics.
No verbatim excerpt is retained for this summary. Read the cited source for the original wording.
Modernize licensing and registration through smarter, 21st-century service systems.
No verbatim excerpt is retained for this summary. Read the cited source for the original wording.
Protect personal voter-registration and license-plate information from misuse by technology companies or the federal government.
No verbatim excerpt is retained for this summary. Read the cited source for the original wording.
Use Secretary of State consumer-protection authority to hold companies accountable when people are exploited during vehicle repairs.
No verbatim excerpt is retained for this summary. Read the cited source for the original wording.
Executive public-record methodology
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Official filings may be amended after publication.
Michigan state-level totals are withheld until the MiTN disclosure system resolves this candidate to one exact committee and compatible reporting period. Name-only matches are not attached, multiple committees are not silently combined, and missing values are not zero.
The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.
Campaign finance disclosure
Every profile claim points back to retained source evidence.
Michigan Department of State
Open Michigan Department of StateGarlin Gilchrist II campaign
Open Garlin Gilchrist II campaignLink checked September 15, 2026.
Michigan Department of State
Open Michigan Department of State