Whitmer Won't Endorse In U.S. Senate, SOS Democratic Races

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/08/2026) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she won't endorse candidates in the Democrats' U.S. Senate primary or in the Secretary of State race. The latter race involves her current lieutenant governor, Garlin Gilchrist II, as well as her former deputy legal counsel and lottery commissioner Suzanna Shkreli.

The Detroit News reported that, following a Plymouth press conference to kick off the start of Michigan's road construction season, Whitmer informed the press she was "not going to make endorsements prior to the convention."

Democrats' state endorsement convention will take place on April 19 in Detroit, where credentialed party members will decide their picks for Attorney General, Secretary of State, the Michigan Supreme Court and statewide-elected education boards.

The Secretary of State's race for Democrats includes Gilchrist, who entered in January after an alleged whisper campaign for him to suspend his campaign for governor; Shkreli and Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum. Shkreli said on this week's MIRS Monday Podcast that Gilchrist told her "point-blank that he didn't want this job" before she entered the Secretary of State arena in December.

Aug. 4 is Michigan's primary election date and a heated primary between state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) and Abdul El-Sayed, a 2018 progressive candidate for governor, will be decided. Meanwhile, major Republican organizations have been consolidating support behind the previous U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers.

Rogers ran for the U.S. Senate in Michigan during 2024, losing to now-U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) by 19,006 votes, while President Donald Trump won Michigan by 80,103 votes.

"I want to make sure that I don't lose sight of the job that I have to do every single day as governor," Whitmer said when asked why she wasn't endorsing in such key races.

The Michigan Forward Network – the conservative nonprofit connected to West Michigan's Richard DeVos Jr., a notable Republican donor, and past Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel – reshared The Detroit News article on social media.

"@garlin you've worked for her for almost 8 years and now she won't back you up at your party's convention. How does that make you feel? What does it say about your job performance?" The group posted.

Whitmer has made primary endorsements before, going back to previous President Joe Biden during the 2020 primaries, as well as her supporting now-U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) in the 2024 primary to replace the then-outgoing U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, the Flint Township Democrat. For this election cycle, she's also endorsed term-limited state Sens. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) and Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield Twp.) in the 4th U.S. House and the 11th U.S. House districts, respectively.

While on the MichMash podcast in late February, following her final State of the State address, Whitmer said she had not endorsed in the gubernatorial primary because as a Democratic Governors Association (DGA) officeholder, "we don't pick our candidates."

She later noted, "I have a feeling it's becoming pretty clear who the candidate is going to be, but until the people of Michigan make it official, my job will be to make sure that we are prepared for the fall," likely referencing perceived frontrunner Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.