# Garlin Gilchrist II Wins Michigan Secretary of State Election Democrat Garlin Gilchrist II secures victory, maintaining Democratic control over Michigan's state triplex. - **Source:** [Ballotpedia News](https://news.ballotpedia.org) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/3610f3f4-0ddb-4ff9-95cf-5296817b2072 ## Election Outcome Secured Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat, won the Michigan Secretary of State election on November 3, 2026. He defeated Republican candidate Anthony Forlini and three minor party contenders. This victory ensures that the Democratic Party maintains its hold on the state's triplex, which includes the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state positions. ## Maintaining Triplex Status Michigan's triplex status refers to the alignment of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state under one party. By winning this race alongside other key offices, Democrats successfully defended their existing triplex. Had Republicans secured even one of these three major statewide contests, the Democratic control of the state government would have ended. ## Candidate Backgrounds Compared Garlin Gilchrist II previously served as lieutenant governor and worked as a software engineer at Microsoft. His opponent, Anthony Forlini, served as the Macomb County Clerk and held a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016. Both candidates participated in the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey to outline their platforms. ## Gilchrist's Campaign Focus In his survey response, Gilchrist emphasized his extensive travel across all 83 Michigan counties to engage with residents. He positioned himself as a defender of free and fair elections, explicitly stating his refusal to accept corporate PAC money. He argued that dark money has exerted undue influence on the state's electoral processes for too long. ## Forlini's Security Platform Anthony Forlini focused his campaign on the necessity of election security, framing it as a non-partisan foundation for democracy. He advocated for standardized best practices and the implementation of secure, auditable voting systems. Forlini argued that public trust in the electoral process is built through institutional competence rather than political slogans or rhetoric. ## Secretary of State Duties The Michigan Secretary of State holds significant administrative responsibilities, including the management of state elections and motor vehicle registrations. The office is also tasked with maintaining official government records and certifying legal documents. These duties make the position a critical component of the state's executive branch and its daily operational functionality. ## Broader Electoral Context The 2026 cycle featured 26 secretary of state elections across the United States, with 35 states total holding such contests. Michigan's political landscape has been highly competitive, evidenced by recent narrow margins in presidential and senate races. In 2024, Donald Trump won the state, while Elissa Slotkin secured a victory in the U.S. Senate. ## Historical Political Trends This election follows a period of Democratic success in Michigan, including the re-election of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in 2022. By securing this seat, Democrats continue to influence the state's administrative direction. The result reinforces the current power structure within Michigan's executive offices for the upcoming term. ## Sources covering this story - https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/11/05/garlin-gilchrist-ii-d-defeated-anthony-forlini-r-and-three-other-candidates-in-the-general-election-for-michigan-secretary-of-state/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._