Getting Started Early: MI Lt. Gov. Gilchrist Announces His Intention to Replace Gretchen Whitmer in 2026

Wow, can you believe it? It’s only the beginning of Trump’s second term, and political news is already buzzing in Michigan where I live.

For those of you tuning in from around the country and might have been misinformed about what Michigan residents are called… it’s not Michigander. Luckily, I have an article that clarifies this (Fact Check: Hey Michigan, You Are NOT a Michigander).

I penned this piece during the COVID-19 pandemic when we were all urged to stay indoors (that’s what our state leaders advised here in Michigan); here’s a snippet of the prevailing sentiment, referring to us as Male Geese:

I know we live in a confusing time right now. We have been told over the past five months that at one point we could play golf but not use golf carts. Also, Home Depot garden supplies could kill us if we bought them there but the supplies from our local hardware stores were just fine. Beginning tomorrow, we can go to the casinos in Detroit but not to a bar in the U.P. that has 70% of its sales from booze. Under 69.99999% is fine, but over 70% is a no-no.

It was a weird time, if you recall.

Now, the person who has been the right-hand man of the current governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has decided to form a committee to think about running to replace her as the chief executive in Michigan in November of 2026.

I read about it right HERE:

Gilchrist, 42, who’s a software engineer by training, was Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s running mate for her campaigns in 2018 and 2022. As lieutenant governor, he’s spearheaded criminal justice reform efforts in the Capitol, a push to expand internet access and a task force to address the racial disparities of COVID-19.

His new committee, which was formed on Tuesday, according to Secretary of State records, is named Garlin Gilchrist for Governor. And Gilchrist has scheduled a “special announcement” for Tuesday in Detroit, according to an invitation reviewed by The Detroit News.

A special announcement coming this Tuesday is sending chills up and down the spines of people here in the state. That, or maybe because it’s still under freezing, and there is a chance of snow every day at the beginning of March.

Now I know my non-political friends are going to cringe at political announcements coming so soon after a presidential election back in November. This is going to sound a bit weird, but we are only 20 months away from the November 2026 election. So time is short.

He should be asked how Gretch handled the COVID-19 situation, and how he would have differed from her approach of locking it all down (Michigan Leads Nation in COVID Cases and Governor Lockdown Is All of a Sudden Missing).

Did he agree with her using private jets to get around the country, while demanding that Michiganians be locked down (BREAKING: Complaint Filed Against Gretchen Whitmer Over Charter Jet Trip to Florida Last March)?

Was he mad that he was NOT invited to a shin dig with her friends at a bar during the COVID lockdown (Michigan Governor Channels Her Inner Gavin Newsom, Breaks Her Own COVID Rules at a Bar With Friends)?

From that article above, about why she broke her own rule:

Honestly, Gilchrist should be asked if the Landshark restaurant has pretty good pizza that is worth breaking an overzealous mandate, by a governor who was a bit starry-eyed in her zeal for telling people how to live. I’m just thinking out loud. 

The lt. gov is not the only big-name Democrat in this race; the Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, has already announced her intention to grab the donkey nod to replace her pal Gretchen (Democrat Jocelyn Benson Announces Run for Michigan Governor, and She Is the Favorite to Win So Far).

Like I said at the beginning of this post, what a time to be living in the Great Lakes State.

Hopefully, we can elect someone with some common sense who will oppose what Democrats currently stand for, like we witnessed this past Tuesday in Washington D.C., at the Trump joint session of Congress speech.

Fingers crossed.

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