GILCHRIST

MARQUETTE — The second of our 2026 gubernatorial candidates is Michigan’s current Lieutenant Governor, Garlin Gilchrist II.

Gilchrist was born and raised in Detroit, working as a software engineer with Microsoft and director of innovation for Detroit prior to serving as Lieutenant Governor alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He was chosen as her running mate in 2018, and they have been elected twice to state office since then. As of today, Gilchrist is the highest-ranking Black elected official in Michigan’s history. He believes that working together with the people in Michigan, including those in the U.P., and listening to what they need is crucial to enable people to stay and succeed in Michigan. His campaign for governor is built on the goal of making that a reality.

“I’ve spent a meaningful amount of time with people across the U.P. talking about what they’re excited about, what they’re anxious about, what they’re fearful of and what they’re hungry for. What I’ve seen is (that) people across the U.P. and northern Michigan want to know that Michigan is a place that they can stay and succeed, and that they can build their pathway to their dream of health and wealth,” said Gilchrist regarding his decision to run for governor. “I just believe it’s up to us to work together to make that happen, and so I’m running for governor to make that true.”

Gilchrist says that allowing people and their kids to stay and succeed in Michigan “takes us getting a lot of things right,” such as making sure the pathways to college and professional careers are affordable, making sure there are jobs available for Michiganders and working with the statewide childcare and K-12 education systems.

“The campaign is about people, and it’s about connecting with people and listening to people, just like my service as Lieutenant Governor has been about listening to people,” Gilchrist explained. “The issues that I’ve worked on and championed and made progress on are based on the conversations I’ve had with Michiganders across the state.”

Gilchrist visited Negaunee in May to kick off his gubernatorial campaign, and expressed his concerns about the levels of affordability and healthcare access that the people who live in the U.P. have – something he will fight for if he is elected governor.

“I did my U.P. kickoff campaign in Negaunee, a community that I think is a place where people are working hard every day, are fighting higher prices every day because of these federal policies that are making everything more expensive, from cars to notebooks and pencils for parents who are having to buy school supplies now for the coming school year,” mentioned Gilchrist. “There are people who are worried about what’s happening in healthcare because of the gutting of Medicaid by this (President) Trump regime and this dangerous Republican budget that he signed at the federal level. I worry about people in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan having to drive 90 minutes to get to a hospital.”

If elected as governor, Gilchrist plans to advocate for Michigan’s people, putting their needs first and making sure that communities have the resources they need for families to succeed, including those who have been born and raised in Michigan and those who are moving to the state.

“What I’m going to do is make sure that, again, people can see that they can stay and succeed in the state of Michigan. I’ve talked to families who need that confidence and they want to know that the leadership in the state of Michigan is going to fight for them,” Gilchrist said. “You can stay in a community and succeed there if you (are) confident in the education system in that community. You can stay in a community and succeed there if you know there’s going to be a job that you’re excited to take in that community. You can stay in a community and succeed there if you know you can retire, have all of your money in your pocket from your retirement, and know that this is a place that’s going to be safe, that we’re going to take care of the environment and its natural resources that draw so many people to the U.P. to take advantage of our outdoor economy … that’s what this is about.”

A major message that Gilchrist wants voters to know is that his background as a software developer influences his approach to solving problems, and that understanding how technology affects human life and the workforce is an important skill for Michigan’s next governor to have.

“I want voters to know that Michigan is a place that it’s up to us to work together, so that everyone knows and experiences and feels in their bones, that their communities, the state is a place they can stay and succeed and pursue their dream of health and wealth,” Gilchrist explained. “I have a unique background. I’m a software developer. I’m not a lawyer or anything like that. I’m a software developer so I think about problem solving a little bit differently. I think it’s important for the next governor of Michigan to understand technology and how it’s changing, what using artificial intelligence is going to do to the most important parts of our economy – our manufacturing, our agriculture, our tourism industry – and having a governor who understands that technology and can help our people in Michigan be centered in the future rather than being replaced by these technologies is really important.”

More information about Garlin’s gubernatorial campaign can be found on his website at garlingilchrist.com.

Abby LaForest can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 548. Her email address is alaforest@miningjournal.net.