Garlin Gilchrist Announces Democratic Bid To Become Michigan's First Black Governor

Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat from Detroit who is Michigan's first Black lieutenant governor, announced he's jumping into the crowded 2026 race for governor on Tuesday.

A software engineer by trade, Gilchrist vaulted from relative political obscurity in 2018 to run alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer , and his profile has been bolstered over the past six years by working closely with one of the nation's most high-profile Democrats.

"When you have a problem, an engineer can fix that problem," Gilchrist said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of his announcement, saying he's built up relationships in each of the state's 83 counties. "That's a story that I'm going to tell."

As governor, he said he'll focus on expanding affordable housing and improving access to health care, particularly mental health services.

He recognized that voters sent President Donald Trump back to the White House in part because of frustration with a 'status quo that wasn't serving them." Trump notched a 1.5-point victory in Michigan last fall.