Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist in an interview Friday, days before he announced his intent to drop out of the governor’s race, said he would defend democracy while improving the department to make branches more accessible said if elected as Secretary of State.
Gilchrist’s official announcement that he would be launching a campaign for Secretary of State instead of continuing a run for governor Monday means he joins four other Democratic candidates for Michigan Secretary of State. Two candidates are also from Detroit; former state Sen. Adam Hollier and Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie.
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and former state lottery commissioner Suzanna Shkreli are also running.
Democratic delegates at the state party’s nominating convention on April 19, not voters during a primary election, determines the candidate who will face the Republican.
Dropping out of the race opens up the field for Democratic frontrunner Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, who said Monday he feels like momentum is growing.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Have you spoken to the other Secretary of State candidates?
Gilchrist: I have been having communication with the other folks… I’m not going to speak for them but what I will say is that I am uniquely equipped to qualify for this role. I think what this role needs in this moment, so I’m standing up to offer that to delegates and voters.”
Q: Did you face pressure from Democratic Party leadership to drop your bid for governor?
Gilchrist: “There’s nobody pressuring me from any corner of our movement to do this. But this is coming from is while going around Michigan, not only just for the both of the last seven years and for the last year, talking to people about what they confronted.
I heard them screaming about prices and childcare and healthcare and all that. But there was this remarkable consistency with which people also said, ‘Look, I’m worried about Trump.’ Just in general. He’s dangerous, erratic, he’s reckless, he hurts people. But he also is particularly uninterested with the Democratic process. He has been willing to send people to Michigan to attack and undermine it. What people worried about was if they break that system, it takes away a tool that we have. If we can’t have a voting system that we can trust in that works, I can’t vote in people who are going to hold utility companies accountable. I can’t vote in people who are going to get money out of politics.
It triggered me upon reflection just back to my roots — the first time I ran for office I ran to be an election administrator. I ran for Detroit City Clerk in 2017 it’s not something that’s ever been far from my heart. I’m uniquely equipped as a software developer and engineer to be the one to protect that stand tall against that.”
Q: Were you surprised when some of the progressive Detroit area Democrats supported Benson over you?
Gilchrist: “People make decisions for a whole host of reasons. I’m sure that if you maybe had a conversation with them you could write about that. What I will say is that it has been interesting this year for people to… I don’t think I’ve changed. I worked in the progressive movement. If you want to talk about progressive receipts, i got them. Those credentials are there and are clear. Campaigns are about getting people to know you better. You know, to the extent that I have campaigned statewide before, it was in the context of being Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s partner.
I think as people have gotten to spend more time looking at me and who I am as a person, as a parent, as a spouse, as an engineer and as a progressive, people have been able to see something that they didn’t pay as much attention to. I hope as a Secretary of State candidate they’re going to continue to see and understand more, and I hope that that’s something that I can use to earn their support.”
Q: What did you make of the blowback you received from some of your own supporters over the NSFW Jasmine Crockett TikTok video that went viral during your campaign for governor?
Gilchrist: People vote for a person. I think my job is to tell my story and how that story will lead to something better for people in Michigan. I recognize people are going to talk and I get that. Some of them said it directly to me, right? I’m good. But what I also know is true is that I got something to offer, and it’s my job to offer people support for it. That doesn’t mean everybody is alwasy going to understand everything that’s going on or people might have a problem with it. That’s all good. It is what it is.
Q: How would you improve the Department of State and Secretary of State branches if elected?
Gilchrist: “There remain significant challenges with the campaign finance website. That’s something that I can make right work with those professionals to address those challenges and make it better. While there has been improvement, we still need to bring the services that we offer and the experience that we offer fully into the 21st Century. And you know, that’s something that I believe I’ve done through my career. Making a system run for people, making government systems work for people. I started with this city government— I created the city of Detroit open data portal, I wrote the Improve Detroit app.”
Garlin isn’t the only candidate saying there are strategic ways to improve customer experience at Secretary of State branch offices and the department of state.
In the video announcing her campaign, Shkreli has pledged to create digital driver’s licenses and report election results faster. She also proposed the state introduce walk-in hours for seniors.
The appointment-only system Benson implemented has sped up service, but has been criticized by Republican opponents.
Alyssa Bradley, a spokesperson for Benson’s gubernatorial campaign, defended the improvements to customer service at the Secretary of State branches.
“When Secretary Benson took office, Michigan’s Secretary of State system was broken. Families waited for hours just to get their IDs, employees worked late into the night, and every one of her predecessors said it couldn’t be fixed or refused to try,” Bradley said. “Secretary Benson proved them wrong. She visited all 131 branch offices in her first 100 days and set a clear goal: 30 minutes or less. Now, more than 90 percent of customers are served in 20 minutes or less… Of course there’s more work to do. There always is. But you cannot deny what Secretary Benson has accomplished.”
