MI-SOS: Michigan will pick a new top election official this year. Here's where the candidates stand.

The 2026 elections will decide many things. One of them is who will administer the 2028 presidential election in one of the nation’s largest swing states.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson cannot run for reelection in 2026, meaning the state will have a new top elections official for the first time in eight years. Six candidates are running to replace her: Democrats Barb Byrum, Garlin Gilchrist, and Suzanna Shkreli and Republicans Anthony Forlini, Amanda Love, and Monica Yatooma. A fourth Republican, Articia Bomer, filed paperwork to run but told Votebeat she was dropping out and endorsing Forlini.

In Michigan, the two major parties each pick their secretary of state nominees (along with their nominees for attorney general and state Supreme Court) at endorsement conventions instead of primary elections. Republicans will hold their convention on March 28, while Democrats will hold theirs on April 19.

Votebeat reached out to the major-party candidates to ask their opinions on some of the biggest topics in election administration ahead of the conventions.




https://www.votebeat.org/michigan/2026/03/02/secretary-of-state-candidates-2026-election-security-citizenship-policy-platform-issues/