The Michigan Democratic Party’s endorsement convention on April 19 will determine the Democratic candidates who will face Republicans in the November general election.
Members at the convention will pick candidates for statewide positions not including governor.
Under Michigan law, Democratic and Republican candidates for most statewide positions are elected not by voters but by members at a party convention. Political parties hold state conventions in even-numbered years to nominate candidates for certain offices.
Those offices include secretary of state, attorney general, state Supreme Court, state Board of Education, Michigan State University Board of Trustees, Wayne State University Board of Governors and University of Michigan Board of Regents.
Running for Michigan Secretary of State include former lottery commissioner, Whitmer appointee Suzanna Shkreli, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist. Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald are running for Michigan Attorney General.
Democrats have controlled both of those offices for the last eight years under Secretary of State Jocleyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini and Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd were selected by MIGOP members last month as Republican candidates for Secretary of State and Attorney General.
Who Democrats pick at the April 19 endorsement convention will set the matchups for the general election in those races.
Michigan Democratic Party affairs director Sarah Woolsey talked to Michigan Chronicle about how the convention works and how members of her party are feeling heading into a consequential midterm in November.
“We as a party are laser focused on the midterm election, and all of the races we have on the ballot up and down the ticket,” Woolsey said. “There are additional statewide seats that are part of the general primary process as well.
We’re going to be welcoming candidates from governor and (U.S.) Senate to all of our endorsement candidates to state legislative and city folks as well. It’s a great opportunity for us to show the enthusiasm that Democrats have and that we are feeling confident going into this midterm.”
What to know before you go
Delegates are made up of party members. To confirm your MDP membership, complete the membership verification form. To meet the deadline to be eligible to vote, membership must have been established by 11:59 PM ET on March 20.
A full schedule for the convention can be found on the Michigan Democratic Party’s website. Woolsey says the party will be communicating with every member who is eligible to vote as much as possible in the lead of to the convention.
More information will hit the website and the party will host informational sessions the week of the convention, Woolsey said.
There’s no additional registration required to vote — as long as members joined by March 20 or were eligible for a 30-day waiver, like precinct delegates, you’re eligible to vote at convention.
Members must also become successfully credentialed through the party’s electronic voting system in order to vote at the endorsement convention. Once a member credentials onsite they will receive instructions to access the electronic voting system.
Credentialing will begin 10am Saturday, April 18 through the start of the legacy dinner which starts at 6pm. Obtaining credentials on Saturday means there’s no need to do so Sunday morning, Woolsey said.
Members will be able to obtain credentials from 7am-2pm Sunday, the day of the convention.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at Detroit’s Huntington Place Saturday, April 18 to kick off the convention at the Democratic Women’s Legacy Luncheon.
Voting occurs at the general session Sunday at 3pm.
“We encourage people to come early to get a lay of the land,” Woolsey said. “When folks approach the main entrance of the Huntington Place, kind of that circle near Jefferson, those entrances is where we’ll be. We’ll have signs and volunteers directing you to our credentialing area.
On Sunday, caucus meetings are held at 9am and 10:30am. There will be a lunch break, and then Congressional district meetings at 1pm before the 3pm general session, which is where the endorsement vote actually happens.
Caucus meetings
Woolsey says there will be a schedule available on the party’s website of who’s meeting when and where throughout the convention hall.
“The MDP Black Caucus will be meeting, the MDP Veterans Caucus, the environmental caucus, the Young Democrats Caucus, the American Caucus, the Disability Caucus, our Progressive Caucus, the Michigan Democratic Women, the Labor Caucus, the Grassroots Caucus, the LGBTIA Caucus, are all planning to meet,” Woolsey said.
In 2025, caucus meetings at the Democratic Party’s spring nominating convention became contentious in separate occasions. The Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus disqualified a candidate running for party chair because he didn’t sign up as a member within the required window.
And pro-Palestine members at the 12th Congressional District meeting booed Attorney General Dana Nessel over her effort to prosecute anti-Israel protestors who camped on the University of Michigan’s campus. Those chargers were later dropped.
There won’t be any elections for new caucus chairs at the upcoming convention, Woolsey said. That happens at the party’s February odd year conventions, she said.
“If any caucus has business that they need to attend to, they are welcome to do that at that time, but there’s not specific mandated elections they have to do like the organizational conventions and odd years,” Woolsey said. “Most of those caucus meetings will be a really good opportunity for those members to hear from the different candidates about the issues that are most pertinent to their caucus or their group.”
General session
The 3pm general session in which members will be able to vote to endorse candidates for Secretary of State and Attorney General will begin with some general housekeeping like electing a convention chair.
“For attendees, we’ll be walking everyone step-by-step, both with our speaker, we’ll have slides,” Woolsey said. “We’ll have an ASL interpreter and closed captioning to make sure the information is as accessible to folks as possible.”
She said during the general session, there will also be separate satellite rooms for those wanting a little bit more space. The endorsement process involves thousands of people in a ballroom.
Candidates who members will be voting for are required to collect endorsement petition signatures on site. There are 12 different seats the Democratic Party will be voting on during the convention’s general session: Secretary of State, Attorney General, two state Supreme Court seats, two state Board of Education seats, and two to each of the three university boards.
All signatures must be gathered in person at the convention. Petition circulation begins 10am Saturday and must be returned by 1pm Sunday.
Candidates will each be allowed to give a nominating speech before electronic voting begins. The Michigan Democratic Party has its members vote via an email form.
Candidates must gather a number of valid signatures equal to fifteen percent (15%) of the delegate vote, or 823 signatures.
The full, 16-page convention guidelines can be found on the Michigan Democratic Party’s website.
